The Web of Life
by Kai-Kerrigan
Summary: Sometimes, it isn't what you take with you that makes life worth living. Sometimes, it's what you leave behind.
1. Chapter 1: Omens and Falling Stars

Tenchi Muyo! is the property of Pioneer and   
AIC. I've no intention of using this to garner   
profits of any kind or type, so unless you like to   
take a poor man's computer away from him, please   
don't sue me!? Please?  
  
All other characters, depictions, places, and   
theories that have been put into place are my own   
creation and have no relevance to Tenchi Muyo in any   
way except in the ways I've explained. These are my   
own thoughts and imagination, and any relation to   
other stories that are not my own are accidental.   
Honest.   
  
My e-mail is kerrigan2001@attbi.com for any and   
all feedback. Please, PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK OF ANY   
KIND!!! Thank you! ^-^  
  
All right, enough talk more action....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~Tenchi Muyo: The Web of Life~~~  
~~~Chapter 1: Omens and Falling Stars (Rev. 6.0)~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
The forest seemed alive tonight.  
  
The breeze moved gently up along the trodden   
path, barely moving the blades of grass and leaves of   
the trees, giving the impression to a certain black   
haired young man that the forest was breathing and   
watching his every move. His face and eyes gave the   
look of serenity, something that he wasn't able to   
find anywhere else, if one knew about his home life.   
Walking slowly through the paths for several minutes,   
the young man found exactly what he was looking for;   
a cliff that jutted out over the forest that   
surrounded the lake near his home. He stood there   
for several minutes, and straightened out his brown   
shirt. Brushing off his blue denim jeans he let out   
a small sigh, and stared contentedly at the view in   
front of him. The temple sat on the mountain nearby,   
lit up barely by lights within. The place he called   
home was lit up also, which shed ample light onto the   
whole scene. The moon was full and bright and the   
lake below was rippling, giving a distorted yet   
comforting reflection of the entire scene. His small   
pony tail moved in the breeze that came from up   
behind, and he sighed a second time.  
  
"Tenchi Masaki, for the first time you're   
actually breathing easy." He smiled to himself. He   
knew that times like this didn't come easily, or   
without a price. He would have to make it up to the   
girls waiting for him to come home, as per their   
agreement. After the Jurai royal family had left and   
let the two princesses, Ayeka and Sasami, to remain   
on Earth with Tenchi and the others, his life seemed   
to actually mellow out. Several months later, and   
graduating from his junior year in high school, he   
was enjoying the first night of freedom away from   
schoolbooks. He tilted his head to one side, and   
began to think more heavily.  
  
I'm actually alive, happy and with my family,   
Tenchi thought, watching the rippling of the lake   
below. I just wish Mom was here to see me, I wonder   
what she would say? A single tear slipped through   
his brown eyes, and found its way toward the ground   
he stood upon. I miss you, Mom, I really do.   
Several more tears found their mark on the stone   
before long and Tenchi's body soon became tense with   
emotions he tried to hold back. The sheer power of   
the thoughts rampaging through his body drove Tenchi   
to his knees, who let the full effect take him.   
  
The roar of what sounded like a screaming train   
broke Tenchi away from his thoughts. He looked   
toward the sky to see a shooting star, green light   
flowing and splaying out into the air. From his   
viewpoint, it seemed to be heading for the forest   
below his current location. Time seemed to slow as   
Tenchi kept gazing at the comet. What first had   
piqued his interest, had rapidly gained his undivided   
and awestruck attention.  
  
Tenchi had heard about many comets and falling   
stars before; his grandfather had told him many a   
story of omens that followed a falling star, but   
never before had he see one actually fall to Earth   
before. As he peered at the comet coming down from   
the heavens, Tenchi had instinctively began glowing   
a faint azure, a sign that his innate powers as a   
royal family member of Jurai were becoming active.   
Tenchi watched as the comet seemed to fall into   
focus; first as a ball of green, and then it   
seemingly zoomed in to about the size of a baseball,   
then a basketball. As it began to take a solid shape   
in his eyes, Tenchi's expression went from curiosity,   
then to amazement, to finally outright panic. Within   
the ball of green was a humanoid form, barreling   
toward the ground at an extremely alarming speed.   
After one or two more seconds, the green ball had   
blown through the forest canopy and impacted.  
  
THOOOOOOOM!!  
  
The ground vibrated with the force of the   
impact for a few seconds, which was long enough for   
Tenchi to wake himself out of his daze and reach   
inside one of his jean pockets. Pulling out a long   
band of metal covered with several small buttons, he   
wrapped it around his wrist and pushed one of the   
buttons. Almost instantly, a small rectangular view-  
screen appeared above the wristband, showing a   
redheaded young girl, dressed in a scientist's smock.   
After several seconds, she looked at the view-screen   
and smiled happily, her green eyes shimmering.  
  
"Washu here. What's up, Tenchi?"  
  
"Uh, Little Washu, you probably know that a   
comet or meteor crashed nearby just a few seconds   
ago, I'm guessing?" The girl's eyes darted off-  
screen for a second, then back toward Tenchi.  
  
"Yeah, but it's a normal occurrence on Earth."   
He nodded, and gave a worried look.  
  
"I don't remember too many humanoids that fall   
to Earth, though." She gave Tenchi a bemused look,   
and her eyes darted off-screen a second time.  
  
"Hmm. I'll be right out to double check your   
findings. But are you sure that there was someone,   
not just something, in that meteor?" He gave a   
muffled response, and she looked back at the view-  
screen toward Tenchi.  
  
"Okay, but I'm bringing Ryoko along as a   
security measure. We don't want or need any   
unnecessary bloodshed going on, so be careful. Don't   
get closer than the edge of the crash site, and we'll   
meet you there. Washu out." The view-screen winked   
out just as quickly as it had appeared, and Tenchi   
peered over the ledge he stood upon. The ground   
below was about 60 feet down, and there didn't seem   
to be any way to get there quickly, with the only   
path toward the forest below was back behind him.   
That would take too long, Tenchi surmised, and the   
young man positioned himself at the edge.  
  
"I can't believe I'm doing this." He muttered,   
and hopped off of the ledge.  
  
Initially, gravity had a strong hold, which   
kept Tenchi from focusing the way he should. After   
several feet, his training had kicked in, and the   
freefalling young man began to glow a faint blue yet   
again. He slowed his decent into a float, and landed   
on the ground without incident. Tenchi smiled   
faintly, gave himself a mental pat on the back and   
began running toward the crash site, hoping that   
whomever landed there was still alive.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inside the Masaki house, it was peaceful. Two   
beautiful, teenage women sat across from each other   
in an engaging game of checkers, while a young girl,   
another young woman and what looked to be a brown cat   
sat on the couch watching television. For the most   
part, it was quiet and pristine.  
  
One of the two women playing checkers, a quiet   
looking girl with long purple hair, sighed in   
frustration. She had worn a simple evening kimono, a   
deep blue with crimson red needlework of dragons and   
kanji. Her red eyes were focused on the board before   
her, and she furrowed her brow in thought.   
Meanwhile, the other woman simply observed the first   
with catlike golden eyes, feinting interest. She   
watched the other while playing with a lock of her   
spiky cyan hair in one hand, and holding her chin   
with the other. Her eveningwear was a simple red   
summer dress that hung to her knees, with a black   
windbreaker jacket that covered her shoulders. She   
yawned and rolled her eyes before speaking.  
  
"C'mon, Ayeka! Are you intending to drag this   
game into eternity, or just extend the inevitable?"   
The purple haired girl looked up from the board with   
a glower for a moment, and back down toward the   
checkerboard. She had hovered one hand above her   
black checkerboard piece, considering her next move.   
After several more seconds, she grabbed a nearby   
piece and jumped two of the red pieces nearest to it.   
She looked up at the cyan-haired woman, who had a   
raised eyebrow at the recent turn of events in the   
game. Shrugging her shoulders, Ayeka smiled   
confidently at her opponent and sat back in her seat.  
  
"Your turn, Ryoko." The cyan haired woman   
raised an eyebrow at the statement, gazed at her   
opponent with a bored look, and quickly smiled.  
  
"Ah, well, better now than the turn of the   
century."  
  
"Considering your age, I figured you wouldn't   
mind the wait." Ryoko's confidence faded quickly   
into a glower.  
  
"Keep it up, and we'll see who lives past the   
end of the night." Ayeka began her turn at a   
confident smile.  
  
"Perhaps, but first you have a turn to play,   
and a game to lose."  
  
"Right. And who was it who lost the first game   
tonight?"  
  
"Don't get cocky, pirate. I was getting a feel   
for your playing skill and, now that I have you   
weighed and measured, I will beat you." Ryoko   
chuckled warmly, and studied the checkerboard for a   
few moments. Both girls had taken an equal number of   
pieces from their opponent's, and considering that   
both girls won a game each, they were at a stalemate   
of sorts. Scooping up several of Ayeka's checker   
pieces she had taken earlier in their game, Ryoko   
toyed with them while deep in her own thoughts. She   
grumbled, wondering why exactly she had agreed not to   
completely pummel Ayeka's retorts and replies right   
out of her head. She sighed, and a very faint blush   
snuck over Ryoko's face; Tenchi was so cute when he   
was serious, especially when he talked about not   
blowing up the living room one more time. Ah well,   
she thought, better to beat Ayeka at her favorite   
games than to sleep in that damned cave.  
  
An earthshaking rumble shook the house, and the   
checkerboard shook its pieces off as if they were a   
nuisance. Ayeka sat up straight, and stared at the   
closet door behind Ryoko, then at Ryoko. The cyan   
haired pirate didn't move or budge from her spot for   
several minutes.  
  
"Should we check up on her?" Ayeka asked,   
concerned.  
  
"Nope, she'll be out in just a couple of   
seconds...."  
  
Behind Ryoko, the closet door swung open wildly   
and crashed against the wall with a heavy thud. All   
of the girls in the room, surprised by the suddenness   
of the explosion and the closet door, turned toward   
the door to see a young redheaded girl step out. She   
wore a red paramedic's outfit, complete with   
stethoscope and adhesive bandages bulging out of her   
breast pockets. She gave a quick glance around the   
room, and stopped on Ryoko, who had turned around to   
look at the scientist.  
  
"You rang?"  
  
"Just the girl I wanted to see. Tenchi needs   
us outside, right away." Washu explained. Ryoko's   
ears perked up at Tenchi's mention. Ayeka leaned   
forward, eager to hear what the childlike scientist   
had to say that involved the young man as well. One   
of the girls, with her blue hair trailing behind her   
in long pigtails, eyed Washu. She had been wearing a   
very long sleepwear shirt with a carrot embroidered   
onto the front, and gave a wide-eyed stare at the   
scientist.  
  
"What's wrong? Is Tenchi hurt? What's going   
on?" The little girl became teary, thinking nothing   
but bad things were happening to one of her best   
friends. Ryoko shot out of her chair, and gave a   
confused look at Washu. The scientist held her hand   
up to calm Ryoko down, and gave both girls a   
comforting smile.  
  
"No, Sasami, nothing's wrong with Tenchi. But   
he needs Ryoko and me to come out and help him with   
someone who's been hurt." Washu walked over to the   
young girl and patted her head. Sasami sighed   
relief, her worried face relaxing a great deal. She   
gave a frown again, and looked up at Washu a second   
time.   
  
"Someone was hurt?" Washu nodded, and Ayeka   
stood up quickly. She walked over next to Ryoko's   
left, and bit her lower lip.  
  
"Does Tenchi wish my assistance as well?"   
Washu eyed the Juraian princess for a moment, and her   
eyes brightened up with recognition.  
  
"Yes, actually. He needed you to prepare a   
room for whoever might be hurt, so that if we need to   
keep them here for the night, they'll have a place to   
sleep." Ayeka nodded, and turned toward Ryoko.  
  
"We don't have any additional rooms available.   
Ryoko, would you be willing to sleep in our room for   
the evening while the guest sleeps in your room?"   
Ayeka asked. The pirate gave a level eyed glare   
toward Ayeka.  
  
"Why do I have to give up my room?" She quit   
arguing when she saw all three girls giving her   
daggers for eyes. She slumped her shoulders, and   
nodded her approval.  
  
"Thank you, Ryoko. I will move all of your   
personal belongings into our room," Ayeka spoke,   
gesturing toward Sasami and herself, "and prepare the   
room for the guest. You both better make haste, if   
we are to make sure that our injured guest's life can   
be saved."  
  
The young woman beside Sasami kept watching   
television, her blond hair wrapped tightly on her   
head and wearing a green sweater and baggy tan cargo   
pants. Completely oblivious to the entire situation   
that had just happened, she seemed focused instead on   
the show displayed on the television.   
  
Ryoko stood up and walked to Washu, who was   
already at the front door waiting patiently. Her   
evening dress and windbreaker seemed to liquefy and   
flow around her as she walked, transforming into a   
skintight battle suit, with black arms and red legs.   
Her right cheek and forehead blackened, giving her a   
very formidable look. The pirate beauty gave herself   
a once-over before clutching her hands tightly. She   
tossed an object at Ayeka, who caught it in midair.   
Looking down, the princess viewed the fused remains   
of several checker pieces. She looked up at Ryoko,   
who had a cocky smile on her face.  
  
"Next time, I choose the game we play. Fair?"   
Ayeka gave her a smirk, and nodded her agreement.   
She made her way up the stairs toward Ryoko's room,   
quickly placing the fused plastic on the arm of the   
couch as she walked past. Sasami hopped down, and   
grabbed the brown cat-like creature off of the couch.   
It opened its eyes and meowed in a half sleepy tone.  
  
"C'mon, Ryo-Ohki! We're gonna have guests, so   
let's go help Ayeka set up their room!" Sasami   
beamed. The cabbit jumped out of her hands and, in a   
puff of smoke, transformed into a small child.   
Wearing a simple pink sundress and bow, the cabbit   
girl quickly hurried up the stairs right along with   
Sasami and Ayeka. Ryoko scooped up Washu in her   
arms, and flew up toward the high end of the house.   
They faded out of sight, with the only person   
remaining being the blonde haired girl sitting   
on the couch alone. She sighed, and stood up to look   
around the room. She closed her blue eyes, and bent   
over the couch to pick up the fused checkers pieces.  
  
"Sometimes, Mihoshi, it's best when you don't   
do anything at all." she muttered, and smiled at the   
fused pieces. Turning them over in her hand, she   
giggled slightly.  
  
"Glad to see that some things don't change   
around here. I may as well go see if Ayeka needs me   
to help with the room." Mihoshi said quietly and,   
putting the fused pieces in one of her pockets,   
walked up the stairs to Ryoko's room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, Tenchi was moving and jumping   
through the forest with a grace and skill that few   
people got to witness and fewer to survive from.   
Deftly moving under branches, over rocks and   
crevices, and moving with a practiced speed, the   
young Masaki moved so quietly that even the rabbits   
that he ran past were in awe of him. Following the   
scent of burnt wood and earth, Tenchi quickly found   
the crash site of the falling star. The crater was   
around twenty feet wide and one hundred feet long.   
Smoke and several very small fires could be seen from   
within the crater, which hindered the young man's   
vision from where he stood. The smell of scorched   
earth was nearly burned into Tenchi's nostrils as he   
walked the edge of the crater. He skimmed the edge   
for a couple of minutes until he made up his mind   
finally.  
  
"I'm sorry, Washu, but I can't wait any   
longer." He muttered nervously, and stepped into the   
crater. A voice from above drew his attention   
skyward.  
  
"You won't have to, Tenchi." He looked up to   
see Ryoko gliding down from above with Washu clutched   
in her arms. Ryoko set Washu down gently, and kept   
herself floating above the ground by several inches.   
She cocked her head at Tenchi, who was still red-eyed   
from crying and smoke.  
  
"You okay, Tenchi? You look like you've been   
crying." She hovered in closer, inspecting Tenchi's   
face more closely. Tenchi gently pushed her away,   
smiling faintly and trying to hide the near truth   
behind her words.  
  
"It's alright, Ryoko, it's just the smoke in my   
eyes. Let's check up on if there's somebody we need   
to help." Ryoko nodded in agreement, and they began   
to enter the more densely smoked area of the crater.   
Washu brought up a small silver sphere, and pushed a   
small round button on its side. A small view screen   
appeared above the sphere, with a readout of what   
seemed to display the crater and surrounding forest.   
Three small yellow blips blinked brightly, with   
a very faint green blip in a direction straight ahead   
of the first three. The view screen suddenly   
vanished and the sphere jumped out of Washu's hand,   
speeding off toward the direction of the green blip.   
Washu ran behind the sphere, motioning Tenchi and   
Ryoko to follow.  
  
"It's found something! Come on, you two!"   
Ryoko swung around behind Tenchi, and scooped him up   
into her arms. She began to hover quickly behind the   
running Washu, who was cackling gleefully and   
grinning the entire time. Tenchi shuffled his weight   
to keep blood running in his arms, and Ryoko   
accommodated the young man as best she could. Tenchi   
looked up at his current mode of transportation, and   
smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Ryoko." She looked down and smiled   
warmly back.  
  
"No problem, cutie." Tenchi's face went red   
quickly, and Ryoko giggled to herself as they finally   
made it to their destination. At the opposite end of   
the crater that they had started in, Washu was   
looking over a prone form on the ground. Kneeling   
down, she used the silver sphere to analyze the   
form's current health and status. Waving it over the   
form, the other two began to get curious and moved   
closer to see what Washu was checking out. Washu put   
a hand up and looked back at Tenchi and Ryoko as they   
attempted to get closer.  
  
"Unless you really want to know what burnt   
flesh smells like, I'd suggest staying over there.   
This one's suffered burns over 85... 80... what in   
the hell?" Washu stared at the readouts that her   
spherical analyzer was giving her, confused and in   
wonder of what she was seeing. Tenchi's curiosity   
got the better of him, and he walked over to the   
opposite side of the form, and looked down at the   
figure on the ground. Complete shock froze his gaze   
on what he saw.  
  
The figure had almost no clothes on save   
boxers, having most of them burned off while coming   
into the atmosphere. His chest and face was covered   
with burns, giving Tenchi the impression he was   
looking at someone who was wearing a suit of half-  
cooked, blackened and still bloody steaks. Ryoko had   
taken a quick glance at the body lying on the ground   
and turned away, grimacing at the sight. Washu had   
been right; the scent of burnt skin and hair was   
pretty evident in the air, and it didn't seem to fade   
in the slightest. As he watched, however, the   
scarring and burnt skin seemed to dry and slough off   
revealing normal skin beneath. Inch by inch, minute   
by minute, the burnt form seemed to transform into   
something that looked humanoid. Tufts of white hair   
sprouted from the form's cranium slowly at first, and   
grew more quickly as time passed. Portions of scab   
tissue fell away from the form's body while the three   
watched. Ryoko looked back at the form again, and   
blinked twice. Instead of a burnt form a slim,   
athletic young man lay prone on the ground in front   
of the three rescuers. Bright white hair spread out   
underneath his head, in shoulder-length sprawls. His   
eyes were closed tightly, as the man's body seemingly   
kept regenerating from the immense damage done to it.   
Washu stopped gazing at her analyzer for a moment and   
kneeled down beside the prostrate man.  
  
"Zero percent burn damage. Not a trace of   
chemical or physiological scarring on him. Simply   
amazing." She pocketed the analyzer, and reached   
into a portal that had opened near her knees.   
Pulling out a gun like syringe, she quickly stabbed   
the young man in the buttock. Thick and dark red   
fluid quickly filled the syringe, and the body   
twitched for a moment from the pain. Pulling the   
gun-syringe out of the young man after several   
seconds, Washu eyed it for a moment and put it back   
into the portal, which closed quickly afterward.   
Tenchi gave her a quizzical look, and she replied   
with a smile.  
  
"Research, Tenchi. I want to know exactly what   
race of being he is, and a blood sample will give me   
that information the fastest. I know how you are   
about tests, but we can't afford not knowing what we   
have here; friend, or otherwise." Tenchi nodded and   
shrugged.   
  
"Fair enough, Washu. But still, I think you   
should have waited for him to agree to that." Washu   
took her turn to shrug and went back to studying the   
young man more carefully. Ryoko stood behind Tenchi,   
eyeing the unconscious young man with a reserved and   
stoic look on her face, a face that Washu couldn't   
help but notice.  
  
"I don't think we should bring him to the   
house. I could understand the temple, but not the   
house." Ryoko stated flatly, eyeing the young man   
with a cautious eye. Washu gave her daughter a   
confused look.   
  
"Well, let me look at who you're going to plop   
on Katsuhito's doorstep, alright?" Grasping the young   
man's face gently in both hands, Washu turned his   
head toward her. His face was youthful looking but,   
from what Washu saw as she studied his face, well   
worn with experience. Her eyes went wide with shock   
as she kept staring into the young man's face.  
  
Memories.  
  
Washu witnessed a young white-haired boy,   
stepping out of a tube and taking his first steps   
toward another much older man. Is that his father?  
  
She again saw a young white-haired boy playing   
on a small hill near his beloved home. Why is that   
hill so familiar?  
  
Memories flooded into Washu's mind as her eyes   
became saucers. Memories that she knew were hers,   
but from where? When?  
  
Ryoko grabbed her mother and shook her several   
times until the scientist finally snapped out of her   
trancelike state. Washu pulled her hands away   
slowly, furrowing her eyebrows in vague recollection   
and frustration.  
"Washu! Washu! Are you okay?! Washu!"   
Concern was thick in Ryoko's voice as Washu turned to   
look up at her.  
"He's not a threat, Ryoko." Ryoko dropped her   
gaze first on the body next to Washu, and then at   
Washu herself. She puckered up her lips in   
stubbornness.  
"You weren't responding to me; now you're going   
to tell me that he isn't a threat? You can't be   
serious." Ryoko growled, stooping to point first at   
Washu and then at the body next to her. Washu's eyes  
narrowed on her daughter, but the pirate continued   
with her explanation heedless of that fact.  
  
"The man's just survived atmospheric burn-in.   
I can't believe that someone who just falls from the   
sky, and regenerates MASSIVE damage in minutes can   
just be dismissed as simply non-threatening. I may   
be a bit stubborn with certain things," Washu's eyes   
shot open at the honesty that Ryoko had just shown to   
the two other people in the crater, and watched Ryoko   
point again at the unconscious young man, "But I'm   
not going to just let someone like that into the   
house without a second thought." Washu gave her a   
quiet look, and sighed deeply. Ryoko took her turn   
to give a confused look, wondering exactly what her   
mother was planning this time. The young scientist   
looked over her shoulder at the young man, and then   
toward Tenchi.  
  
"Tenchi." Tenchi was staring absently at the   
young man, amazed with what he had just witnessed   
earlier. Shaking his head rapidly, he focused on the   
two girls kneeling across from the prone form between   
them. He scratched his head, and bunched his lips in   
thought for a moment.  
  
"While I can understand Ryoko's desire to keep   
the family safe, I'm the one who found him. I can't   
leave him out here in the cold. Besides, there's no   
real place that he can get the care he needs in the   
temple or to keep an accurate eye on him, either.   
I'll keep watch over him while he sleeps in the   
house." Tenchi said finally. Ryoko gave Tenchi a   
pleading look, not surprised that he would do   
something like this.  
  
"Tenchi, are you sure? We don't know this guy,   
and he could be more dangerous than anyone we've ever   
found or fought." Tenchi nodded his insistence   
at the decision, and Ryoko sighed.  
  
"I will care for him while he sleeps, Tenchi.   
I'll also set up several force fields around the room   
that Ayeka and Sasami have prepared, to retain him,   
if he proves to be a threat. Will that suffice,   
Ryoko?" Washu offered, standing up slowly and   
brushing off her uniform, never taking her eyes off   
of Ryoko. The pirate rolled her eyes and stood up   
slowly. Ryoko motioned to Washu to move further away   
from the body, which the young scientist did with a   
faint smile on her face.   
  
"Thank you, Ryoko." Washu beamed, and Ryoko   
gave her a slightly resolute look out of the corner   
of her eye as she gently picked up and cradled the   
young man in her arms. She gave the form in her arms   
one last look, and gave one more look at Tenchi. He   
nodded his approval, and smiled broadly at Ryoko.   
She gave him a faint smile in return.  
  
"Fine. I don't like this one bit, but if this   
is what you want, Tenchi.... so be it. I'll take us   
to the house, and we'll think of what to do with him   
after we've got him settled in. But, there is NO way   
I'm gonna let him have my room after tonight if you   
decide that he stays, fair enough?" Tenchi nodded   
happily, and Washu clapped her hands together in   
finality of the agreement. Tenchi wrapped his arms   
around Ryoko's waist from behind, and Washu did the   
same to Tenchi's. Almost as quickly as the three   
entered the crater, they faded out and away from the   
crash site without a sound.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"We're all finished. Now all we have to do is   
wait for Tenchi and the others to arrive with our new   
guest, if there is one." Ayeka spoke quietly.   
  
Smoothing out the red and blue quilt that was   
laid out on the futon, she gave the room one last   
look around. The futon was set up underneath the   
window at the far wall, and most of the original   
decorations were removed. Ryoko's most favored   
belongings were taken into Ayeka and Sasami's   
bedroom, leaving simply the futon, some chairs, and a   
small table in the room. A half-filled water bowl   
and several small bandages were set next to the   
futon, and a pitcher of water sat on the table just   
nearby. Satisfied that the room was properly set for   
their guest, Ayeka sat in one of the chairs of the   
room and waited for everyone's arrival. Sasami   
walked in, with Ryo-Ohki trailing in close behind.  
  
"Are we ready, Ayeka?" Sasami asked her elder   
sister, curious and worried bleeding through in her   
voice. Ayeka smiled and nodded. The younger   
princess put a finger on her chin in thought.  
  
"Where's Mihoshi? I thought that she had   
brought you the quilt." Ayeka nodded and pointed   
upstairs.  
  
"She had said that all of this excitement had   
wore her out, and that she would go to bed for the   
evening." Sasami nodded her head in response.  
  
"Ah. About what happened earlier; do you know   
what kind of guest they will be, Ayeka?"  
  
"I do not know, Sasami. We shall have to wait   
until he or she arrives," Ayeka dropped her head a   
little for a moment, and sighed heavily. "But I do   
hope that if it IS a she, that she hasn't already   
made any lewd or outrageous attempts on Lord Tenchi."   
Sasami and Ryo-Ohki giggled to each other and sat   
down in front of the elder princess, who gave them a   
wondering look.  
  
"And why are you giggling, Sasami?" she   
questioned, wondering exactly what was on her   
sister's mind. Sasami beamed a giant smile and   
looked up at her big sister.  
  
"Oh, nothing. You look like you're happy to be   
getting some new friends is all!" She blurted out   
loud, and started to laugh again. Ryo-Ohki meowed in   
agreement, and transformed back into her cabbit form.   
Bouncing around and tumbling with glee, she hopped   
into Sasami's lap where she was greeted with pets and   
treated to a full body rub. Ayeka simply raised an   
eyebrow to her little sister and let out an audible   
smirk. She did finally find a medium point with   
Ryoko in terms of the man they both loved, and   
admitting to each other that Tenchi needed space to   
decide for himself was one of the few things that   
both girls could agree upon. That and destroying the   
living room over the television remote brought the   
decision that she and Ryoko would take their disputes   
to the training area, again their decision however   
much aided by Tenchi persuading Ryoko to follow along   
with the idea. She smiled at the memory, and kept   
smiling even after Ryoko slowly faded into view in   
the center of the room. The pirate carried a young   
man in burnt boxers, with Tenchi hugging Ryoko from   
behind at the waist, with Washu doing the same to   
Tenchi. Sasami turned around to see the last portion   
of the fading-in of the whole group. Ryoko and Washu   
gave the room a quick look around, and gave a visual   
look of approval.  
  
"You move quickly, Ayeka. Nice job." Washu   
commented; Ayeka smiled again, and nodded her   
appreciation of the compliment. The child scientist   
let go of Tenchi and walked toward the futon, pulling   
out a small black orb with a single red button on its   
side out of a portal underneath her arm as she walked   
toward the futon, and waited for the new guest.   
Ryoko stood there for a moment, and turned her head   
to Tenchi.  
  
"Don't let go of me for a couple of moments."   
Ryoko asked. She stood there, an expressionless look   
on her face. Tenchi stood there with a look of   
confusion on his face.  
  
"Can I ask why?" Ryoko closed her eyes in   
response.  
  
"Two things; One, I'm feeling a little faint   
from teleporting four people at once. I haven't done   
something that draining in a long time, so I'm using   
what strength and balance I have to keep from   
dropping your new guest," She smiled at Tenchi for a   
moment, "And two, well, it's not everyday you get a   
good hug from a stud." She felt a momentary   
tightening around her waist, and she gave a bigger   
smile. Opening her eyes, Ryoko spotted Ayeka's scowl   
and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh, give me a break, Ayeka. You can get a hug   
in due time, if you'd just ask him, you know." The   
pirate pulled away from Tenchi and walked toward the   
futon. Washu pulled the quilt away from the futon,   
and Ryoko gently placed the young man onto the futon.   
Backing away, the scientist covered the young man   
with the blanket, and motioned everyone to step away   
from the futon.  
  
"Alright, everyone. Step back and watch a   
genius at work!" Laying the metal orb in her hand on   
the ground next to the futon, she pushed the red   
button, then moved away quickly. A red hue was   
faintly seen from the orb, and a red beam struck the   
ceiling. Expanding away from the band, the futon was   
soon surrounded by a faint red sphere of energy that   
seemed to twinkle and shimmer. After several   
seconds, it faded out of visible sight, and the group   
sighed in relief. Washu walked over to the futon,   
and flicked the open air. Red light shimmered and   
twinkled at the contact point, and she smiled   
gleefully.  
  
"One impenetrable force field brought to you by   
Washu Hakubi, extraordinaire! Oh, to be the   
greatest!" she exclaimed, grinning ear to ear. Ryoko   
simply rolled her eyes, and Ayeka sighed in   
resignation. Sasami simply stood up and walked   
toward the door, and turned around before walking   
through.  
  
"I'm going to bed, Ayeka. This has been really   
exciting, though! I wonder what he's going to be   
like?" She smiled and, petting the little cabbit as   
she went, walked out of the room leaving Ayeka with a   
wondering look on her face. Tenchi shrugged and   
yawned loudly.  
  
"I'm going to get myself something to drink   
from the refrigerator. What shift did you want,   
Washu?" The scientist tapped a finger on her chin,   
thinking the question over for a moment.  
  
"I'll take the last shift, Tenchi. I've got to   
make sure that the lab experiment I'm working on is   
finished, and then I'll be up to take your place...   
will that be fine?" Tenchi smiled and nodded.  
  
"That'll be perfect, Washu. You were a better   
night owl than I, anyway." With that Tenchi walked   
out of the room to get his drink, leaving the three   
girls alone in the room with their sleeping guest.   
Ayeka eyed the young man from her place in the chair,   
and turned to the other girls.  
  
"So, my guess would be that this is our injured   
guest." She looked him over more thoroughly, leaning   
nearly out of her chair to get a better look at his   
face. "That's rather strange; he doesn't seem   
injured at all."  
  
"Heh, he was burnt worse than your attempt at   
steak last month at the family barbeque, Ayeka. He   
regenerated the damage as if it were a paper cut."   
Ryoko stated, laughing slightly at her first comment.   
Ayeka scowled at the pirate, not quite so enthused   
with the memory.  
  
"Hey, it was not my fault. It was my first   
time at attempting to cook over an open flame, and   
with no nearby water I used the only available liquid   
to attempt to douse the rising flames!" Ryoko took   
her turn to scowl, and shook a finger at the   
princess.  
  
"You used my last bottle of my favorite SAKE,   
Ayeka!" The princess took a slight smile at that   
memory.  
  
"It's not like it went to waste, Ryoko."   
  
"Whatever," the space pirate huffed and turned   
away from the princess to face her mother again. "I   
still can't believe that you're actually letting this   
guy into the house even after we watched Mr. Pork   
Chop shrug off burn damage as if he were taking off   
an extra set of clothes!"  
  
Washu still hadn't gotten over the fact of   
Ryoko's insistence of leaving the young man at the   
temple or even simply where he lay. She narrowed her   
eyes a second time glaring directly in Ryoko's own.   
Again, Ryoko was heedless of the danger she put   
herself into and kept talking about dangers unknown;   
Ayeka, however, was visibly confused.  
  
"I am sorry little Washu, Ryoko. What do you   
mean, he shrugged off the damage?" Ayeka questioned.   
Washu sighed a second time, and motioned the girls   
out into the hallway. Silently, both girls had   
followed out the young scientist, and Washu resumed   
speaking after Ayeka had closed the door to the room.  
  
"As in, he regenerated burn damage that had   
covered over 90 percent of his body. All of it   
third-degree burns, and I can guarantee that no   
simple mortal would be able to survive that. So, we   
know he's from off-world. Now, even off-world beings   
such as us wouldn't be able to survive the severity   
of the damage that he had taken. Beings that would   
be capable of that kind of regeneration would be   
beings that can regenerate at a sub-cellular level,   
such as Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki." Ayeka nodded in   
understanding, and Ryoko simply leaned against the   
wall with a frustrated look on her face while Washu   
continued.   
  
"There are species of creature that can   
regenerate that kind of damage just as fast, but   
they're not humanoid in form. So whatever that young   
man is, he's a great deal more than what he looks to   
be." Ryoko turned to face the two other girls.  
  
"All the more reason to keep him from inside   
the house, I'd say. I not going to let this family   
get slaughtered because of some hallucinations of   
yours!" Ayeka gave a questioning look at Washu, who   
rolled her eyes at Ryoko's words.  
  
"Hallucinations? What is she talking about,   
Washu?" Washu shot her daughter an angry glare,   
which Ryoko finally understood and fell silent. The   
scientist turned back to Ayeka and resumed her   
explanation.  
  
"Memories are more an accurate term I would   
have used, Ayeka." Ryoko huffed and looked toward   
the stairs, allowing the two girls to continue   
talking.   
  
"While I had tended to our young John Doe,   
several memories of him passed through my mind giving   
me the distinct impression that I knew him, or still   
know him. Though for some strange reason I can't   
pin, however, I can't seem to recall anything   
additional than basic things. One of those memories   
being that he's a very kind, gentle person. That's   
why Tenchi and I had insisted that he be brought back   
to the house. Another would be that if we had taken   
him to the temple as Ryoko had suggested, we might   
not have all of the necessary equipment to treat any   
additional wounds he may have had, or provide   
containment had our guest actually prove himself to   
be a threat." Washu explained.  
  
"Well, the temple would be a much better suited   
place to keep him. Why not simply move the necessary   
equipment into one of the temple rooms and keep him   
under close surveillance there?" Ayeka replied,   
putting her hands inside the sleeves of her kimono.   
Ryoko gave a smug look toward her mother, pleased   
that someone else was thinking along her lines.   
Washu stopped for a single moment, and then   
responded.  
  
"One word; Katsuhito. He's the current priest   
of the Masaki shrine, and the protection of the   
shrine is high on his list of priorities. Think   
about it. If someone who you didn't know was sleeping   
on or near the temple grounds and have the prospects   
of his or her being a threat looming over your head,   
what would you choose; safe, or sorry?" Ayeka nodded   
in agreement, and Ryoko fell silent after listening   
to the reasoning behind the scientist's words while   
Washu finished explaining. "And besides, he's not at   
the temple right now. He had taken a nature trip to   
a nearby shrine, and wouldn't be back until tomorrow   
morning; I simply wanted to keep his temple standing   
and in one piece until he gets back."   
  
Ayeka pondered Washu's words for several   
moments, while Tenchi appeared from the stairs with   
four sodas and a hard-cover book cradled in his arms.   
He passed one soda to each of the girls, who gave him   
a smile of approval. Tenchi walked toward the door,   
and smiled toward the girls.  
  
"Well, I'll be in here if any of you need me.   
Washu, I'll come and get you at about 2:00 a.m. It's   
about 9:00 p.m. right now, so will five hours give   
you enough time?" Washu cackled and smiled at   
Tenchi, who pasted a worried look on his face due to   
not-so-fond memories of the last time heard that   
sound.  
  
"More than enough, Tenchi, thank you. I'll be   
in my lab when it's time." Ayeka yawned faintly, and   
bowed slightly to everyone in the hall.  
  
"I think that I will retire for the evening.   
Thank you all for the experience, this has been most   
rewarding." Ayeka said, and made her way to her room.   
Ryoko still leaned against the wall next to the door   
as Ayeka gave her a final look. She stuck out her   
chin in exasperation.  
  
"Ayeka, I'm not going to do anything with   
Tenchi. I'm simply going to be outside the door in   
case of problems. When Washu takes over, I'll be in   
to sleep as well." Ayeka closed her eyes, sighing   
heavily.  
  
"Considering the circumstances, I can believe   
you, Ryoko. I'll make sure that your bed is ready   
for you when you come in for the night. Good night   
Ryoko, Washu." Ayeka quietly spoke, as she opened   
the door to her room and swiftly entered. Washu   
waved a hand to Ayeka as she closed the door, and   
smiled. After the princess closed the door, Washu   
sighed heavily and shrugged as if she were getting   
something off of her shoulders. Ryoko closed her   
eyes, and kept silent while keeping her vigil over   
the two men inside her former room.  
  
"Alright, then. I guess I'll go analyze the   
blood sample of our John Doe character while Tenchi   
takes first watch over him. It'll most likely take   
several hours to get any results out of it, so in the   
meantime I guess I'll finish up some research while   
I'm on watch." Washu noted to herself. Ryoko simply   
raised her eyebrows in response, and opened a single   
eye to look at Washu. The scientist simply shook her   
head in defeat, and walked down the stairs to her   
lab. She stopped at the head of the stairs to glance   
at Ryoko and spoke.  
  
"You might be right about some things, Ryoko,   
but just stop to remember one thing. What Tenchi is   
doing for this "unknown threat" he also did for a   
well known threat whose name I won't mention." The   
pirate peered at her mother with an angry look, and   
quickly turned to gaze at the far wall.  
  
"That was cold." Ryoko whispered.  
  
"You're right. Still, nonetheless, not   
everything that falls from the sky is going to   
destroy your new family. If I considered it even   
remotely dangerous, do you honestly think it would be   
sleeping in our new home right now?" Ryoko remained   
silent as Washu spoke, the pirate never taking her   
eyes off of the far wall. Washu sighed, and   
traversed the stairs down to her lab. A faint creak   
and a door closing left the pirate alone in the   
hallway. She sighed and slid down the wall, closing   
her eyes and thinking of her family.  
  
"I swear to whatever's listening, that if you   
threaten my family EVER, that not even heaven or hell   
will save you from me. That much I promise." Ryoko   
whispered to her unknown threat. With that the   
pirate wrapped her arms around her legs, leaned her   
forehead against her knees, and sat.  
  
  
End of Part 1 


	2. Chapter 2: Carrots and Hidden Skills

Tenchi Muyo is the property of Pioneer   
and AIC. I've no intention of using this to   
garner profits of any kind or type, so unless   
you like to take a poor man's computer away   
from him, please don't sue me!? Please?  
  
All other characters, depictions,   
places, and theories that have been put into   
place are my own creation and have no relevance   
to Tenchi Muyo in any way except in the ways   
I've explained. These are my own thoughts and   
imagination, and any relation to other stories   
that are not my own are accidental.   
Honest.  
  
My e-mail is kerrigan2001@attbi.com for   
any and all feedback. Please, PLEASE SEND   
FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND!!! Thank you! ^-^  
  
All right, enough talk more action....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~Tenchi Muyo: The Web of Life~~~  
Chapter 2: Carrots and Hidden Skills (rev 5.0)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The young man was dreaming.  
  
He dreamt of fields that stretched out as   
far as the eye could see with huge trees, their   
purple and blue leaves straining to touch the   
sky. He hovered just over the ground, looking   
at the reeds thrashing to and fro in time to   
the wind. He twirled in the air, contented   
with his dream right now. Looking out over the   
fields that he saw, he viewed a great mansion   
at the edge of a mountain, with a village   
several miles away from what the mansion   
grounds. Greenhouses and storage facilities   
surrounded the mansion, all of them being quite   
familiar. Looking down at the hill he started   
this journey on, he floated higher into the   
air, letting the whole scene burn into his   
mind. He didn't want to forget this place, no   
matter where he may go or wander. This place   
was where he had been born.  
  
This place was home.  
  
The young man sniffed the air for a   
moment. Feeling his body being dragged back   
toward the ground, he realized that he was   
waking out of his dream. Saddened by the   
anchoring feeling that he felt, the young man   
surrendered to the sensations of nerves   
awakening and, after several more moments of   
reorientation, finally opened his eyes.  
  
Sunlight poured into the room from a   
window above him, and struck on the far wall.   
As he looked around the room he saw a bowl of   
water next to his head, with several towels   
sitting next to it. Lifting his head off of   
the futon, he stared at the remaining portions   
of the room he inhabited now. A table was   
placed at the far wall, with two chairs   
sitting on either side. What caught his   
attention was the red-headed girl floating on a   
red cushion, with her back toward him. Putting   
himself into a sitting position the young man   
pulled the blanket fully around his waist and   
began to study the room and the girl more   
closely. He nearly jumped when the girl spoke.  
  
"It's still processing? Ah, well. Guess   
he's got some anomalies that have to be double   
checked before the final read-out can be   
presented. Well, better get another look at   
him while he's still asleep." The cushion   
floated backwards to the edge of the futon, and   
turned to have the girl floating parallel to   
it. The girl's hair seemed to defy gravity for   
the most part, which caught the young man's   
attention immensely. Flowing from the back of   
her head down to the floor, and trailing   
slightly behind, he followed it with his eyes.   
She wore a uniform that hinted at her   
schooling; however the markings on the shoulder   
were unrecognizable to him. The young man   
leaned in to get a closer look at them   
when he realized that he was instead staring   
right into the largest set of green eyes he'd   
ever known.  
  
"Aaahh!" The girl blurted and jumped   
back, falling off of her cushion onto the   
floor. The young man reached out to steady the   
girl before she fell, but a grid of red   
interlocking strands of energy impeded his   
reach.  
  
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you."   
the young man blurted out, staring at the young   
girl with sorry grey eyes. The girl stood up   
slowly, rubbing her bottom with a look of mild   
discomfort on her face. Looking back at the   
young man, she gave a hearty smile.  
  
"It's no problem! I was expecting you to   
be asleep still. I'm Washu, and I'm well known   
as the Greatest Scientist in the Galaxy!   
What's your name?" the young scientist asked.   
The young man gave a toothy smile.  
  
  
"Do you think I could just call you   
Washu? I don't think I could memorize all of   
that, to be honest." Ashe remarked, to which   
Washu gave him a near-scornful look.   
Completely taken off guard by his reply, she   
responded by giving him an amused smirk; he's   
quite a character!  
  
"Most of my friends and family call me   
Little Washu, but I'll consider letting you get   
by with calling me Washu for now. You still   
haven't told me your name, though." The girl   
teased, and the young man blinked twice. He   
gave her a smirk in return, and pulled his hair   
away from his eyes.  
  
"Ashe. My name's Ashe." He looked   
around the room for a moment, and gave Washu a   
quizzical look. "Where am I?"   
  
The girl scientist put her hands behind   
her back and smiled, too interested in the now   
awake young man to worry about bruises.  
  
"Well, you're on the planet Earth, in the   
Sol System." Washu replied. He gave her a   
bemused look.  
  
"I'm sorry; I know the system, I meant   
what country I'm in. Is this Japan?" He   
looked around, his grey eyes wide with   
curiosity. She took her turn to give a   
confused look and scratched her head.  
  
"Actually, yes it is Japan. Obviously   
you're not simply human, so what planet are you   
from? Do they have the regenerating   
capabilities that you do?" Washu inquired,   
grilling her new subject as quickly as she   
could. The young man shrugged absently and   
rubbed his eyes.  
  
"I'm from different places, to be honest.   
It's been so long since I've ever had a   
consistent home I couldn't tell you where I was   
first. The longest I've ever stayed on a   
planet before Earth would've been," the young   
man tapped a finger to his lips in thought,   
"Most likely, Tetanius Prime." Ashe replied.   
Washu's eyes shot open at the name of Ashe's   
past home.  
  
"Tetanius Prime? That planet hasn't been   
inhabited for about 4500 years! You were there   
before?" she prodded. The young man nodded and   
looked at the door for a moment.  
  
"Uh, yeah, but can I step off topic for a   
second?" the wanderer requested. Washu   
furrowed her brow and folded her arms in   
stubbornness, as Ashe continued speaking, "I   
was wondering who found me in whatever shape I   
was in. I have to thank them for helping me   
out of my predicament." Washu nodded and   
waved her floating laptop from where it hovered   
at the table to her side, and began to type in   
the information she had gleaned from their   
conversation.  
  
"His name is Tenchi Masaki. He's the   
young man who found you after you crash landed   
near his family's Shinto shrine in the woods   
nearby. He had a couple of friends and I   
assist in bringing you back here to make sure   
your injuries weren't too severe. After you   
regenerated your wounds, however, he wanted   
to simply offer some courtesy and provide you   
with a roof to cover you for the night." Washu   
stated matter-of-factly, obviously annoyed with   
having her questioning interrupted. Ashe   
nodded and stretched out as best he could,   
considering that the force-field was keeping   
him on the futon.  
  
"Would you be so kind as to bring him   
here, so that I can thank him personally?"   
Ashe requested, trying his best to keep the   
conversation going. "And I'm sorry that I   
stopped your questioning. I hope that we can   
talk later on, and I'll answer any questions   
that you have then, okay?" he finished.   
Washu gave him a sidelong glance, and smiled   
quietly.  
  
"That'll work fine. You know, I'm a   
little amazed with you. You truly are more   
than what you seem to be." The scientist   
remarked, pulling a chuckle out of Ashe. The   
wanderer stopped and scratched his head for a   
moment.   
  
"I try." Ashe replied, and Washu eyed him   
fully for a moment, which made Ashe feel   
strangely comfortable.   
  
"True, and succeeded fairly well, might I   
add. But looking the way you are, I'd figure   
you'll want some clothes to get into before   
talking to Tenchi. You're not exactly well   
dressed, you know." Washu noted, waving a hand   
absently in the wanderer's direction. Ashe   
looked down at himself and blushed mildly,   
realizing that he had nothing else to cover   
himself except for the blanket currently around   
his waist. Washu laughed aloud for a moment,   
and reached her hand into a portal that had   
opened up next to her. Washu began to pull out   
a large metallic briefcase, and proceeded to   
punch in several things on the touchpad mounted   
on its side. Setting the briefcase down next   
to her, she whisked away her floating laptop   
and knelt down on the floor. Picking up the   
force-field orb, she de-activated it and threw   
the orb into the portal that she had gotten   
the briefcase from, which closed immediately   
afterward.  
  
"Okay, everything's set. I've   
deactivated the force-field, and I picked out   
some clothes for you. I hope you like them."   
Washu pulled back her shirt sleeve to reveal a   
slim metal band, complete with several buttons   
around her wrist. Pushing one of the buttons,   
she peered into the miniature view-screen   
that had sprung into sight for several seconds.   
She tapped her chin in thought for a moment,   
and then began to walk toward the door.  
  
"Hmm, Sasami most likely has breakfast   
done. Get dressed, please, and I'll wait for   
you outside the door. Considering your state,   
you're most likely very hungry," Washu   
explained, smiling at the wanderer. Ashe put   
himself in a kneeling position, scratching his   
head at the strangeness of the situation, "And   
you're lucky to have the best chef in the   
galaxy preparing your breakfast. See ya   
there!"   
  
With that, the scientist shut the door to   
leave Ashe alone in the room. The wanderer   
shrugged his shoulders and stood up slowly,   
holding the blanket around his waist. Walking   
over toward the briefcase, he popped open the   
latches to view his new outfit. He whistled,   
and looked back at the door.  
  
"Black and emerald green. How'd she   
know?" With an absent shrug, Ashe dropped the   
blanket on the floor and began changing into   
his new outfit.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Alright, everyone, breakfast is   
officially served! Dig in when you're ready!"   
Sasami spoke, watching as the family sat down   
to eat. Ryoko and Ayeka were already at each   
other's throats, fussing over who got to have   
more egg rolls; though Sasami thought it more   
because Ryoko kept Ayeka up with her snoring.   
Tenchi and his father were discussing the   
young man's chores and duties for the day while   
his father went off to work, and Mihoshi was   
making her best attempt at keeping the argument   
between Ayeka and Ryoko from getting too far.   
Ryo-Ohki sat next to the kitchen door wailing   
for her breakfast as well. The younger   
princess placed a carrot in front of the   
meowing cabbit and finally sat down to enjoy  
breakfast herself, when the topic between   
father and son changed to last night's rescue.  
  
"So the person you had rescued was a boy,   
eh, Tenchi?" Nobuyuki remarked. Tenchi nodded   
in affirmation to his father between bites of   
egg roll. "Ah, well, that's too bad. Might've   
been interesting around here had it been a   
girl." Ryoko and Ayeka snorted disdainfully,   
giving Tenchi's father a threatening stare.   
Nobuyuki drew a sharp breath and held up his   
hands in defense.  
  
"It was just a joke, ladies. I'm just   
trying to make conversation at the table,   
okay?" The girls rolled their eyes, and   
resumed their own heated discussion. Tenchi   
gave the girls a quick glance and then looked   
back at his father, who let out a sigh of   
relief.  
  
"You asked for that one, Pop." Tenchi   
whispered, and his father nodded in silent   
agreement. The opening and closing of a door   
above brought the attention of the family   
toward the stairs. Washu quickly hopped down   
the stairs and stopped at the foot of them,   
looking toward the group with a giant smile on   
her face.  
  
"Well, I've got good news and bad news.   
The good news is our guest is awake and alive,   
and his name is Ashe. The bad news is I could   
not get any additional information on him other   
than his name, and the fact that he's been on   
this planet for some time." Footsteps were   
heard before anyone could ask questions, and   
Washu looked up at the head of the stairs.  
  
"This ought to be good." Ryoko whispered   
flatly to Ayeka, as they caught a glimpse of   
Ashe as he made his way downstairs. What   
everyone saw caught their attention   
immediately.  
  
The wanderer wore an emerald green   
mandarin collar shirt, long-sleeved and   
untucked, which covered his denim pants.   
Black, and with a thin emerald green strip   
running up each leg, the jeans hung somewhat   
loosely to his legs. His white hair was pulled   
back into a long ponytail, with his bangs   
hanging over his ash-grey eyes. As Ashe made   
his way down the steps, he tinkered with one of   
the collars, which had red crabs embroidered on   
the edges of it; very small red crabs also   
decorated each of the cuffs on his shirt. His   
black boots had emerald green laces to finish   
the whole outfit. In short, Ashe was rather   
nicely dressed, thanks to Washu, and all of the   
other girls seemed to like the way he looked.   
Ryoko and Ayeka both had saucers for eyes,   
and Sasami grinned ear to ear.   
  
"Whoa," was all that Mihoshi could   
breathe.   
  
Ashe paused at the foot of the stairs,   
and stopped fidgeting with his collar to   
realize where he was finally.  
  
"Oh! Um, hello! My name's Ashe and, uh, I   
would like to thank whoever was the person who   
found me last night. I sincerely appreciate   
it, and would like to repay that person. I   
believe it was Tenchi, right?" Ashe asked,   
scratching his head as he tried to remember his   
rescuer's name. Tenchi swallowed a half chewed   
bite of egg roll, and stood up quickly.   
  
"Yeah, uh, that would be me." Tenchi   
spoke, not quite sure what to make of his new   
guest. Ashe's eyes stopped on the young man as   
he stood up. He walked up quickly to Tenchi and   
gave a big smile to the young man, who smiled   
back nervously. "Thank you so much! You   
don't know how much I owe you for that!   
Oh, yeah! About my debt…"   
  
"There's no debt to pay. I did it out of   
respect and kindness, I don't expect any   
payment." Tenchi responded, giving him a look   
of surprise, and waved the thought away. Ashe,   
however, wasn't going to walk away without   
repaying the young man somehow.  
  
"All right then, a question for you.   
What do you do in terms of chores or required   
tasks for the household?" Ashe questioned;   
Tenchi took a step back for a moment.  
"Me? I tend to the carrot fields so that Ryo-  
Ohki can eat, help Grandpa clean and maintain   
the temple grounds, go to school when it's in   
session, and help keep the house in working   
or...der." Tenchi stopped talking as soon as   
he realized where the conversation was going.   
However, it was far too late.  
  
"Then it's settled. I'll take care of   
all the maintenance work, including the carrot   
fields that you must tend to for… hmmm… does   
about two weeks sound alright for you?" the   
wanderer asked, giving the Masaki boy a small   
'Let me help' look on his face. Tenchi   
scratched his head, not really knowing how to   
respond to the offer that he was given.  
  
"Hold on there. These are my   
responsibilities, and I can't just shirk them   
off on someone who doesn't even know what to   
do!" Tenchi countered. Ashe smiled, and nodded   
his head in agreement. Ashe cocked his head to   
the side and held up his hands parallel to his   
shoulders.  
  
"I can learn what I must as I go, and I'm   
sure that you can show me what I don't   
understand." Ashe responded matter-of-factly.   
Tenchi opened his mouth to speak, but Ashe   
stopped him before the words came.  
  
"I understand that these are your   
responsibilities. However, you took one of my   
responsibilities, namely my own life, into your   
hands when you did not need to. I feel that I   
need to repay you, by lifting the burden of   
some of your responsibilities off of your   
shoulders. It's nowhere near what I feel that   
I actually owe you, Tenchi, but it's a start.   
Will you please let me do this for you?" Ashe   
requested, giving the young Masaki the 'let me   
help' look a second time. Tenchi let out an   
exasperated sigh, and gave the wanderer a long   
and thoughtful look. Before the young Masaki   
could utter a response to Ashe's question Ryoko   
jumped out of her seat, her eyes bugging out of   
their sockets. Squealing with delight, she   
grabbed Tenchi's free arm and wound it   
alongside her own.  
  
"Ha! Now you can't back out of our   
agreement, Tenchi! You're going on that date   
with me and Ayeka now, no matter what!" she   
exclaimed, hugging Tenchi's arm to her chest.   
Ayeka gave a smile from across the table to   
Tenchi, stood up and walked over to Tenchi's   
other side.  
  
"Thank you, Ashe. I'm quite sure that   
Tenchi wouldn't mind having some actual time   
off away from his chores and responsibilities?"   
The princess replied. Ayeka and Ryoko both   
eyed the young Masaki, whose eyes had grown to   
huge proportions. He sighed, and let his head   
droop in defeat.  
  
"Sure, Ashe, you can take over my chores   
as payment or whatever you choose to call it.   
But if I want to take them back at any given   
time, I reserve that right. Is that fair?"   
Ashe grinned, and held out his hand. Tenchi   
reluctantly put out his own hand, and the two   
young men shook on the agreement.  
  
The rest of breakfast was rather   
lighthearted after Tenchi agreed to Ashe's   
proposal. Ayeka and Ryoko began arguing over   
what dresses the other girl should wear on   
their date with Tenchi, and Ashe was given   
Nobuyuki's chair after he had dismissed himself   
to go to work. Sasami and Washu had been   
paying the new guest loads of attention, eager   
to know everything they could about the   
wanderer.  
  
"You had said that you lived on Tetanius   
Prime before, correct?" Washu asked, picking up   
a small piece of egg roll with her chopsticks.   
Ashe nodded in affirmation between mouthfuls of   
breakfast, and gulped down a swig of milk   
before answering.  
  
"Wow! This food is amazing! Whoever   
made this should be cooking for royalty!" Ashe   
exclaimed, which made Sasami blush slightly.   
The wanderer stopped and thought quietly for a   
moment. "Yeah, I did. It was a long time ago,   
and I had left it long before the planet was   
decimated. I'll admit, though, it was sad;   
nearly the whole planet annihilated in under a   
month. The people that were left had to   
evacuate considering that life couldn't survive   
there anymore." Ryoko's face went pale and   
expressionless at the mention of Ashe's past   
home; while Ashe and the two other girls kept   
talking, Ayeka gave the pirate a concerned   
look.   
  
"Ryoko, are you okay? Ryoko?" Ayeka   
questioned. Tenchi gave Ryoko a concerned   
stare.  
  
"Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, his gaze quickly   
snapping the space pirate out of her strange   
mood. She smiled weakly at both Tenchi and   
Ayeka, and quickly bit off a piece of egg roll.  
  
"Of course I'm fine! Hahahaha! What would   
make you think I'm not okay?" Ryoko gave an   
overly boisterous laugh and scratched her head   
with one hand, which caught the attention of   
the rest of the group at the table. Realizing   
that she had everyone looking at her, Ryoko   
quickly looked around the room and stopped her   
gaze at the clock on the far wall.  
  
"Oh, gosh, look at the time! I guess I'd   
better be getting to work on sweeping the   
outside porch area, since that's what was asked   
of me. Yeah, that's it." With that, the pirate   
stood up and quickly bolted for the kitchen   
door, phasing through it without a second   
thought. Ashe stopped chewing on his egg roll   
to watch Ryoko, and looked back at Sasami and   
Washu.  
  
"Does she do that all the time?" Ashe   
inquired. Washu gave him a serious look in   
response.  
  
"Which one; phasing through doors, or   
acting strange in front of people she doesn't   
know?" Washu asked.  
  
"Both," Ashe had answered.  
  
"Yes to the first, and it's one of two   
things when she meets new people; act extremely   
shy, or attempt to blow their heads off of   
their shoulders." An angry feminine voice   
echoed through the kitchen door after Washu   
finished talking.  
  
"I heard that!"  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A tall, elderly man stood in front of a   
closet door, gently rapping on it to request   
entry. His small, square glasses did little to   
hide the wisdom and gentleness in his faintly   
red eyes. His dress and style of hair was that   
of a Shinto priest, and this one in particular   
was not always known for his patience. He   
knocked much louder the second time.  
  
"All right, all right come in for crying   
out loud!" The priest chuckled to himself and   
straightened his posture.  
  
"Thank you, Professor." He opened the   
door to the closet, and stepped through into   
Washu's arboretum area of her laboratory.   
Trees of a thousand kinds were sprawling out   
before him, with paved walkways winding around   
each of them, giving the effect of a haphazard   
web he was walking upon. Blinking lights on   
each side of the walkway lit up sequentially   
with a slight red glow, faintly highlighting   
the path out of the arboretum.   
  
"Follow the lights out please, and Washu   
will be waiting for you at her control center,   
Lord Katsuhito," a faceless voice said, echoing   
through the arboretum. The priest nodded his   
agreement, and followed the now apparent path   
to Washu. After several minutes, Katsuhito   
stepped out onto one of the few static places   
in Washu's lab; her control center. With the   
exceptions to the arboretum and control center,   
Washu's other labs were always transforming and   
reconfiguring themselves to provide the   
scientist with almost limitless reusability.   
The priest stopped himself behind Washu, who   
was busily punching in research data she had   
gleaned from another experiment into one of the   
control center's floating keypads. She wore a   
scientist's smock that covered her science   
academy uniform, already dirtied by some of the   
experiments she had done earlier in the day.   
When she turned to face Katsuhito, he noticed   
that Washu also wore the angriest look he'd   
ever seen on her young face.  
  
"What's got your goat, little Washu?"   
Katsuhito remarked coolly. Washu glared up at   
him from her floating keypad, which made the   
priest raise an eyebrow. She sighed, and   
dropped her hands away from the keypad.  
  
"I'm sorry, Katsuhito. I didn't mean to   
take it out on you. Ryoko, however…" The   
elderly priest raised both eyebrows in   
surprise; one didn't get to find out about   
Washu and Ryoko's relationship very often.  
  
"Oh? What has Ryoko done now?" The   
priest dropped himself into a kneeling position   
beside the young scientist. She sighed a   
second time, and went back to typing in the   
data she had stopped doing earlier.  
  
"Nothing, unless you count coming up to   
me after breakfast was finished and blatantly   
accusing me of drooling over Ashe. I'm a   
scientist, not a schoolgirl; I know what I'm   
doing when I'm around him," she growled.   
Katsuhito nodded in understanding. She kept   
typing in more information, nearly pounding in   
the keys as she continued talking. "I mean,   
who's she to talk about drooling? Tenchi would   
most likely be swimming in lakes of it   
considering the way that she and Ayeka   
fawn over the boy. Ryoko even hangs on him,   
even after Tenchi has asked for time alone."   
Katsuhito chuckled at the memories of Ryoko's   
first months at the Masaki home.  
  
"If Ryoko didn't do that, she wouldn't be   
who she is," he said. Washu gave Katsuhito a   
quick look of bemused understanding, and began   
typing again.  
  
"You didn't come into my lab to ask how   
my day went, Katsuhito, so how about we skip   
the rest of the small talk and get to the   
point?" Washu stated, never moving her eyes   
off of the keypad as she punched in more data.   
Katsuhito shrugged, and looked out over the   
balcony at the rest of the arboretum.  
  
"I came to ask you about your thoughts on   
our new guest. However, it seems that you've   
already explained yourself rather well." The   
elder priest remarked, shooting a grin at   
Washu. She turned to look at Katsuhito in   
surprise.  
  
"Oh really, and what would that be?"  
  
"I don't remember you getting so uptight   
over the way you interact with people,"   
Katsuhito said quietly, never losing his ear to   
ear grin. "Maybe Ryoko's perspective of the   
way you look at our guest isn't so overrated   
after all." Washu eyed Katsuhito for a moment,   
and put her face stubbornly into one of the   
view-screens she had been studying earlier.   
  
"Whatever." A red beacon started to   
blink on one of the nearby floating screens,   
which quickly caught the attention of both   
Washu and Katsuhito.  
  
"That's strange. The scanners say that   
there's a huge surge of energy being built up   
nearby, but it's having trouble identifying   
exactly what that energy signature is." Washu   
remarked, calling the view-screen over to her   
to analyze the data more closely. Katsuhito   
stood up and took a position over the girl   
genius's shoulder to watch the goings on with   
better detail. Washu brought up several larger   
view-screens to check up on the residents of   
the Masaki household. Tenchi was at the bottom   
steps of the temple, currently talking with   
Ayeka and Ryoko about Ashe and the date they   
were going on later that evening. Mihoshi was   
in the kitchen eating an apple, and Sasami and   
Ryo-Ohki could be seen chasing butterflies on   
the pier in front of the house.  
  
"That leaves us with our new friend.   
Where is he?" Katsuhito asked, keenly   
interested in what the family's new guest was   
capable of. Washu was already ahead of him,   
and homed in on Ashe's position.  
  
"I've already recorded Ashe's bio-energy   
signature, so finding him is as easy as one,   
two, and three!" Washu spoke, pushing in   
several buttons. A small map of the current   
countryside grew to enormous size in front of   
the two as they watched, and zoomed in on the   
areas directly surrounding the Masaki house   
and shrine, and then one last time on the   
carrot fields at the farthest end of the   
property. A bird's eye view of the field that   
Ashe was working in was brought into focus, and   
both adults watched with fascination and   
surprise as Ashe worked. Or rather as best   
they could watch, considering the fact that a   
blur was all that they saw. It was all Washu   
could do to even blink at the amount of energy   
he used.  
  
Zipping this way and that in the field,   
moving surprisingly fast and efficient, Ashe   
worked with a tireless enthusiasm. The only   
times that one could make out Ashe clearly was   
when he stood still long enough to wipe the   
sweat off of his brow or to pick up various   
objects at the edge of the field. In the   
laboratory, his two spectators kept watching   
with amazement. In the course of several short   
minutes, the entire field was completely tilled   
and planted. Katsuhito whistled coolly as he   
watched the young man sit down and relax for a   
moment.  
  
"Well, our guest has some very potent   
skills. I wonder if he's a capable fighter as   
well," Katsuhito remarked, tilting his head as   
he watched the young wanderer go about tilling   
and planting the next carrot field, "Though it   
now comes to if we should tell the rest of the   
family about the extent of Ashe's powers."   
Washu punched in some more information, never   
taking her eyes off of the screen. She let her   
finger hover over the communications button   
when she suddenly thought about her earlier   
conversation with Ryoko. Worried about the   
scene that would no doubt result, she turned   
instead to face Katsuhito who was still   
regarding the wanderer on the view-screen.  
  
"Katsuhito, I know this is going to sound   
odd, but can we keep this information between   
us for now, please? I'm not quite sure what   
Ryoko will do with the information. If she   
finds out about what we know, it'll take weeks   
to clean out the blood. Executing the man when   
all he's done, by himself no less, is plant TWO   
whole fields in under an hour doesn't sound   
like a proper thank-you," Washu explained.   
Katsuhito raised an eyebrow at the young   
scientist, and regarded her with a critical   
eye.  
  
"I will consider it. However, for   
reasons of safety, I will be the one to gauge   
his skills. If he is a threat in any way, I   
want to know how any of us would fare against   
him," Katsuhito responded, as the view-screen   
winked out of sight. Washu typed in the last   
of her information and stood up to stretch out   
her tense muscles. She gave a thankful smile   
as the closet portal faded into view at the   
edge of the control center. Katsuhito looked   
over his shoulder toward the portal, and back   
at Washu.  
  
"About your memories, Washu, I must ask.   
Ryoko told me that you know about him, but you   
don't know how. I find that hard to believe,"   
the priest explained, "That you of all people   
can't seem to remember someone who obviously   
means a great deal to you." The scientist   
sighed heavily, and motioned Katsuhito to walk   
with her toward the portal.  
  
"If you don't already know, I can't   
remember anything further into my past than   
roughly 20,000 years. If I try to push further   
back than that in my mind, I draw blanks. That   
alone is driving me nuts; especially after that   
bastard Dr. Clay had kidnapped Ryoko and nearly   
succeeded with me. Ever since, however, I've   
been getting strange flashbacks; like time-worn   
movies of places I've been, when I don't   
remember being there any other time in my life.   
Or people I've seen, when no-one matches their   
description in any of the galactic records."   
Katsuhito slowed his pace, and looked down at   
Washu.  
  
"But you recognized Ashe," the priest   
noted.  
  
"And that fact alone is what bothers me.   
All of my other flashbacks were hazy and barely   
understandable. When I first looked at Ashe,   
however, it was like," Washu scratched her   
head, looking for the words. "Like a waking   
ream, vivid and in living color." Washu   
returned the look at Katsuhito.  
  
"Do you think that Ashe is the key to   
unlocking the meaning of these memories of   
yours?" the priest questioned as they ended   
their walk in front of the portal. Washu gave   
the priest one last glance, and then stared at   
the door for several moments.  
  
"I don't simply think he is. I know he   
is." Washu stated, and Katsuhito bowed deeply   
to the young scientist. He opened the door,   
and quickly looked back through at Washu as she   
began her walk back toward the control center.  
  
"On that note, I thank you for hearing me   
out. The family should expect you at the   
dinner table, then?" Katsuhito asked, and Washu   
gave a quick glance to the priest as she   
walked.  
  
"Probably, considering I'm most likely   
going to miss lunch to do further research. I   
still need to ask our young friend Ashe several   
more questions, so catching him at dinner would   
be best." she replied. He gave a giant smile at   
Washu as she sat down on her cushion.  
  
"Should I bring a mop and bucket for the   
drool as well?" The priest saw the blush   
clearly from where he stood at the door, and   
watched Washu push several buttons on a   
completely different keypad. Without blinking   
Katsuhito quickly pulled his head back and shut   
the door before a large statue of a fat panda   
landed, attempting to make a new home on the   
priest's head. Washu held her head, shaking it   
in silent laughter as both the portal and the   
statue faded into nothingness.   
  
"Friends; go figure." She stifled a   
humorous sigh, and went back to watching and   
recording Ashe's power readings on a view-  
screen she had spawned. Suddenly she sat   
straight up on her cushion, transfixed on   
information that displayed itself on screen,   
although the data held no interest; she was   
more focused on the flashback that went   
trailblazing through her mind's eye. The   
scientist's breathing came in ragged gasps as   
she felt memories flood over her like a broken   
dam's water over an unsuspecting riverbank.   
Washu let herself become caught up in the wave,   
hoping that anything she could glean from it   
would help her understand what was going on.   
As the unnerving sensations faded, the images   
began to meld and make a clearer picture.  
  
Washu found herself standing on a small   
hill, surrounded by reeds of varying lengths   
and widths. Thrashing and whistling around,   
she watched trees that stretched miles into the   
sky with their purple and blue leaves dancing   
and swaying in tune to the wind that moved   
them. She whirled in place, attempting to   
figure out what planet she was on, and where   
she could possibly be.  
  
"The planet's name is Far Eden. Or   
rather, it was. It's a planet that's not on   
any of the galactic star-charts; mainly,   
because it's been annihilated." The scientist   
whirled around in place, a distinct chill of   
eerie recognition as she realized whose voice   
it was. Washu gasped as she got a look at the   
opposite side of the hill, where the sound came   
from.  
  
The scientist immediately recognized the   
face as her own, but she was clothed in dress   
that was completely foreign. Billowing red   
sleeves flowed in open defiance of the wind,   
and her red hair was pulled up and back in a   
near divine formality. A gold band was wrapped   
almost lovingly around her neck, as well as   
several more circling at spaced intervals   
around her ponytail, defying gravity as if the  
concept were null and void. The elder Washu's   
sleek black and red dress clung tightly to her   
bosom, waist, and hips adding to the overall   
effect of surrealism. The younger Washu simply   
gawked at herself; she never thought of wearing   
something like that. At least, she didn't   
admit to it openly.  
  
"You're me, aren't you?" The younger   
Washu remarked, folding her arms in open   
stubbornness. The elder Washu cackled, and   
smiled a toothy grin. She began to hover in   
place, and slowly moved toward the younger   
Washu.  
  
"Ha! I'm still as sharp as a whip,   
thankfully. Yes, I'm you. And you're me,   
whichever line of reasoning you prefer to use.   
In all honesty, however, I'm more a mental   
image of what you really are. You left this   
portion of yourself," the elder Washu stopped   
several inches away from the younger and put a   
thumb to her chest to emphasize herself,   
"Within your mind so that one day, when you   
felt you had finally understood what you felt   
you needed to understand, you would have a way   
to come back to yourself." The younger Washu   
scratched her head in apparent confusion, and   
pointed at herself.  
  
"Okay. Let me get this straight; I've   
locked myself away in my own head, and you're   
the aspect of me that'll help wake the rest of   
my memories up?" The younger Washu pointed a   
finger at her elder self in a demanding tone.  
  
"I want all of my memories back, and I   
want them now." The elder Washu gave her a   
look of amusement.  
  
"Access denied." The elder Washu stated   
flatly.  
  
"What?" The child genius replied,   
furrowing her brow from misunderstanding   
herself a second time.  
  
"I'm also what most mortals would call a   
mental block; until your own mind believes that   
you can handle what you would learn, you aren't   
getting anything out of me. Or you're not   
getting it out of yourself, to phrase it more   
accurately. Besides, all of your memories are   
locked away in things you've given great   
value." The elder Washu explained. Giving a   
weary smile, the elder Washu turned to float   
away from the girl genius. The younger Washu   
clenched her hands in frustration, trying to   
make sense of what had just happened.   
  
"There are three things that you valued,   
and still value, above everything else in this   
world, before your fated decision." The elder   
Washu explained, holding out one hand parallel   
to the younger. Floating barely above her   
outstretched hand were three red gems, circling   
and twisting around each other in perfect   
harmony.  
  
"You mean the gems." The younger Washu   
whispered, staring at the three crimson orbs in   
amazement. The elder gave her one last glance   
before looking back at the gems again.  
  
"What about Ashe?" The elder form's eyes   
began to shimmer with moisture, and she blinked   
twice. She turned to face the younger Washu   
with a fond gleam in her eyes, the gems   
radiating a heavy red now.  
"Okay, here's a hint, then. All of your   
memories are locked away in these little gems;   
they also represent the same three things I   
mentioned earlier. One is to understand the   
universe; the second, to understand why mortals   
do what they do; the last, to understand your   
own heart." Each of the orbs gave a faintly   
reddish-pink glow, lighting up one by one in   
response to the elder Washu's words as she   
spoke, until all three pulsed brightly. The   
younger Washu gave a confused look at her elder   
self, which quickly turned to panic as the   
imaginary world around her began to fade and   
melt away. The elder turned back to face the   
younger, and put a faint smile on her lips.  
  
"Stick with Ashe and Tenchi! You'll get   
your answers when the time comes, I promise!   
In the end," the elder Washu quietly spoke, yet   
the younger Washu felt them as if she were   
whispering them to herself, "You'll have what   
you've always wanted." As the laboratory faded   
back into perspective, the child genius began   
to hurriedly type in the information she had   
learned, eager to piece together this little   
puzzle that had presented itself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dinner at the Masaki household was   
different this evening than most other nights.   
Tenchi, Ryoko, and Ayeka had all gone on their   
date for the evening, telling everyone that   
they most likely will eat at a restaurant and   
not to prepare any meals for them. The kitchen   
area was well stocked with herbs and spices   
from around the galaxy, with cooking utensils   
from Earth and a hundred other worlds. Neat,   
organized, completely stocked with everything a   
chef could wish for, and just the way that   
Sasami liked it.  
  
Wearing her chef's apron and having her   
hair pulled back, the younger Jurai princess   
had already gotten well into making dinner. The   
young chef set down some onions and began   
cutting them, thinking about how her family had   
changed so much in the course of several short   
months. The scent of onion had snuck its way   
into Sasami's eyes, and she began to get teary.   
Stopping for a moment, she had reached to her   
left for a towel and promptly snatched it away   
from its holder.  
  
"Hey! I was using that." A voice   
replied, a little hurt. Without turning to see   
who it was, Sasami handed back the towel   
quietly. She smiled and turned to face the   
source of the voice; Ashe, whose face was dirty   
from the work he had done in the field earlier   
in the day. His emerald green dress shirt had   
the sleeves tied around his waist, and an   
emerald green athletic shirt he wore currently   
was soaked with the sweat of a hard day's work.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ashe. I didn't realize you   
were already using the towel," Sasami remarked,   
and scowled at his appearance, "but you should   
take a bath before dinner. You're dirty and   
smelly from head to toe." Ashe gave himself a   
quick once-over, and rolled his eyes. He   
wrapped the dirty towel around his neck and   
sighed. Making his way to the door to the   
living room, Ashe turned and waved to the young   
princess.  
  
"Thank you for the towel, Sasami. I'll   
ask Mihoshi where the bathing facilities are."   
Ashe bowed slightly, and pushed the door open.   
"I didn't mean to interrupt you while you were   
cooking, so I'll leave. By the way," Ashe   
sniffed the air and looked at the stove, where   
several different courses of food were busily   
cooking for the evening's dinner, "Dinner   
smells excellent. I'm looking forward to it!"   
Sasami gave him a big smile, nodded and went   
back to finishing the onions. She grabbed some   
carrots from the fridge and began to prepare   
them for cutting when she stood up straight   
unexpectedly, as if someone had entered the   
room.   
  
"Is that you, Tsunami? Where are you?"   
the young princess called aloud.  
  
"I am right beside you, Sasami." The   
princess turned to look at the woman standing   
next to her right. Her dress was quite similar   
to the Jurai royal family's garb, a beautiful   
mixture of purples, blues, and reds; however,   
she seemed to carry a divine look that poured   
out around her. A white cloak draped over her   
shoulders, covered by exotic trinkets and rare   
metals. Her flowing blue hair was pulled back   
into two long ponytails that barely touched the   
floor. She leaned back against the countertop,   
eyeing the doorway with a knowing eye. Sasami   
gave the goddess a worried look, when Tsunami   
turned to face the younger princess and gave   
her a beaming smile.  
  
"I was worried that you wouldn't show   
up." Sasami whispered, and turned to face the   
goddess.  
  
"You know that I would never dream of   
leaving you alone for long, little one." The   
goddess saw worry cross over the chef   
princess's bright eyes like rolling storm   
clouds.  
  
"What is bothering you, Sasami? You're   
worried about something, I can tell." Tsunami   
queried, giving the young princess a worried   
and sympathetic expression. Sasami sighed   
deeply, and closed her eyes.  
  
"I'm worried about Ashe. Except for   
Washu and me everybody is suspicious of him.   
It just doesn't make any sense about Tenchi;   
Ashe took care of the carrot fields so that he   
could go on that date with Ryoko and Ayeka.   
Ryoko was completely against his staying here,   
though she didn't mind him taking over Tenchi's   
chores. Ayeka is suspicious of him, but is   
at least giving him the benefit of a doubt.   
Mihoshi can't place him in any galactic police   
records, so at least he's not a known criminal.   
Nobuyuki is being wary but considerate, and   
Katsuhito is giving Ashe that look that he   
gives Tenchi when he botches up a training   
lesson," The princess whispered, to which   
Tsunami placed a comforting hand on the girl's   
shoulders. Sasami sighed a second time, and   
opened her eyes to look up at Tsunami. The   
goddess furrowed her brow in confusion as the   
young princess gave a faint smile.   
  
"At least Ashe isn't one of the bad   
guys." The goddess tilted her head to one side   
and raised an eyebrow as she studied Sasami,   
guessing at the reasons for the girl's line of   
thought.  
  
"Don't be so certain of that, Sasami.   
You have no idea about where this Ashe is from   
or who he is; and criminals are still   
criminals, well known or otherwise. To say   
that this person is good hearted after knowing   
him for as little as you have would be   
foolhardy." Sasami gave the goddess a   
wondering look, and dropped her arms to her   
sides in thought. Tsunami raised an eyebrow a   
second time at the young girl, already   
understanding where the conversation was about   
to go.  
  
"Neither you or I had a nightmare of him,   
though. Every time someone bad shows up, one   
of us gets a vision about what's going to   
happen. I didn't get one when Ashe showed up,   
or even the day before." With that, the   
princess went back to cutting her carrots.   
Tsunami simply blinked at the girl's logic,   
amazed at the amount of sense that Sasami made.   
The goddess took her turn to sigh; ever since   
Tsunami gave up a part of herself to allow   
Sasami to stay alive the princess had grown in   
intelligence light years ahead of her peers,   
but it came at a high price. Whenever Tsunami   
attempted to gain insights into the future,   
Sasami had access to those same dreams;   
something that both of them were surprised   
about and afraid of at the same time. Tsunami   
oftentimes cursed herself for dragging an   
innocent girl into her own visions; she worried   
that what simply caught her off guard may   
outright terrify or threaten the sanity of the   
young Sasami. However, no matter what the girl   
was forced to witness or endure, Sasami's   
tireless enthusiasm and perseverance always won   
out; several times those very dreams that   
Sasami was forced to see aided both herself and   
those around her to anticipate and ultimately   
defeat forthcoming threats. And while it was   
true that Tsunami had attempted to divine what   
Ashe's arrival heralded for the family, she   
hadn't seen any good or evil intent come from   
Ashe at all. Though she always weighed her   
dreams with a grain of salt, she learned that   
through the bonding that the two girls went   
through, Tsunami found Sasami's judgment of   
character at times to be far more accurate than   
her own.   
  
"Perhaps Sasami," the goddess remarked   
with a hint of sadness in her voice. "But   
remember, that sometimes the brightest star is   
created out of the darkest matter." Sasami   
gave Tsunami a confused stare as she finished   
putting all of the chopped carrots into the pot   
that was cooking the other vegetables for the   
dinner that evening.  
  
"I don't understand what you mean." The   
young girl stated simply. Tsunami patted her   
soul-bound friend on the head in a friendly   
tease.  
  
"It simply means that everybody is going   
to have to be careful about this new guest,   
that's all." The princess nodded and gave a   
huge smile to Tsunami, who gave a look over her   
shoulder at the stove. The pots and pans that   
were all holding dinner for the evening were   
steaming, giving every intention that dinner   
was ready.  
  
"You might want to finish dinner, little   
one; your family is starving waiting for you to   
feed them. And I know I would rather starve   
than eat cooking that wasn't yours, Sasami."   
The young chef giggled happily, and gave a bear   
hug to the surprised goddess. Tsunami gave a   
slight gasp; the goddess wasn't used to this   
kind of attention, but Sasami gave it to her no   
questions asked and no quarter given. Tsunami   
smiled; she wouldn't have it any other way.  
  
"Thank you, Tsunami. You really know how   
to make me feel better." Sasami said, the   
words muffled by the goddess's dress. Tsunami   
gave her a knowing smile and returned the bear   
hug she was in the middle of receiving.  
  
"What are friends for?"  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Deep in the outer recesses of a forgotten   
galaxy, a lone ship sat in the middle of an   
asteroid field. From a distance, the very   
thing looked to be huge; its body long and   
sleek, with pocks and dents covering the dark   
grey techno-organic skin of the ship. From   
underneath, it had the impression of a god's   
hand reaching down from above. Standing atop   
the ship at the bow, a tall young man had his   
head bowed in deep thought. His pale white   
hair shimmered in an almost eerily way as it   
reflected the light from the star that the ship   
orbited, and his purple eyes hinted at a   
malevolent intent that none of his peers dared   
to provoke. Crossing his arms over his chest   
the young man pulled his gaze from the ship's   
hull, out toward the asteroid field that   
surrounded the ship and then further out, into   
the darkness he called home. As the cloaked   
figure kept his eyes on the void a portion of   
the hull began to bulge and spike upward, then   
peel back to reveal a tall slender female form   
emerging from within the hull. The woman's   
small bust and curvaceous body was clothed in   
a black bodysuit that was covered in numerous   
thin silver stripes that curled around her back   
and arms; her black hair was likewise striped   
in a similar fashion. Her silver cornea did   
nothing to hide the thousand minute gears that   
spun and twirled in rhythm, and the violet   
irises focused intently on her target. She   
made slow and measured steps along the hull   
toward the cloaked man and adjusted her leather   
gloves as she made her way along. Taking her   
place directly beside the man's right side, the   
young man gave a sidelong glance at the guest   
through slotted eyes. The girl, although a   
head taller than the man she stood beside,   
nodded her head in silent agreement, and the   
two sank into the ship as the hull pulled   
itself over the hover-pad the two stood on.   
As the duo sank further into the ship, air   
began to hiss and fill the chamber, allowing   
sound to be heard within. Several more seconds   
passed again before either of the two spoke.  
  
"I trust that you know your mission."   
The young man stated flatly, never moving from   
his position. The tall girl turned her head to   
face him, and nodded.  
  
"My mission is one of reconnaissance. I   
am to engage and ascertain the strengths and   
weaknesses of all specified targets. Any minor   
threats that may interfere with my primary   
objective are to be eliminated with extreme   
prejudice. However, I am allowed to make   
retreat if the capabilities of the specified   
targets are proven to be more than my own."   
The hover-pad that carried the two stopped at   
the bridge of the ship. The bridge was huge;   
hundreds of view-screens hovered over their   
respective control panels, each displaying a   
myriad of information on planets, current   
events, and various important persons. The   
young man, with the woman just behind, strode   
up one of several archways to the central   
control node that jutted out over the rest of   
the bridge area. As the two entered the node,   
a spherical view-screen enveloped it and   
brought up several different star charts of   
galaxies both familiar and completely unknown,   
and blacked out all outside light sources. The   
young man brought up a keypad, and brought up   
several different pictures.  
  
"The area that you are to infiltrate is   
here," the young man remarked, bringing up a   
picture of a house sitting peacefully alongside   
a lake and a shrine nestled on top of a nearby   
mountain. "The people that reside here are   
some of the most powerful beings in the known   
galaxies, if not the universe. Caution is   
paramount; simply observe and engage when the   
timing is right. Failure to do so will force   
us to escalate our plans prematurely; I do not   
do things prematurely, understood?" The young   
woman nodded her head, and strode up to his   
side.  
  
"Who are the targets?" The woman had   
questioned; her distinctively sultry voice was   
hued with the faint undertone of artificial   
replication. Two pictures faded in over the   
scenic photo; one was a black-haired pony   
tailed young man, smiling happily with what   
seemed to be his family. The other gave light   
to a beach scene, where a cyan haired woman was   
attempting to pull the hair out of a violet   
haired girl's head, who was likewise trying for   
the same. The black and white haired young   
woman raised an eyebrow cynically at the second   
picture.  
  
"What an animalistic gesture," she   
remarked and crossed her arms, which invoked a   
snicker from the man beside her.  
  
"Be that as it may, those three you see   
before you are the greatest threat to this   
little symphony of ours. Currently, none of   
them understand exactly what is in store for   
them and I intend to keep it that way for as   
long as possible. Understood, Ersatzu?" The   
young girl nodded her head slowly in   
affirmation, and made her way back toward the   
archway out of the control node as the   
spherical view-screen opened a doorway out.   
The young man turned his slightly to the side,   
and coughed faintly. The tiger striped beauty   
froze in mid-stride, and turned her head to   
listen.  
  
"You may be an artificial, but you are   
more important to my plan alive than dead.   
Simply gather the appropriate information and   
return; I do not wish for our enemies to know   
anything other than what I want them to." She   
nodded in agreement, and exited the control   
node leaving the young man alone with the   
pictures and his own thoughts. He punched in   
several more commands, and expanded the black   
haired boy's photo to zoom in on his face   
alone. He gave the photo a look of expectancy,   
as if the young man was looking forward to   
meeting the person in the photo.  
  
"Oh, what a tangled web they weave, when   
first they choose not to believe." With that   
said, the young man began to pour himself over   
the data that came in from the view-screens   
that hovered nearby.  
  
  
End of Part 2  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	3. Chapter 3: Bokkens and Reconnaissance

Tenchi Muyo! is the property of Pioneer   
and AIC. I've no intention of using this to   
garner profits of any kind or type, so unless   
you like to take a poor man's computer away   
from him, please don't sue me!? Please?  
  
All other characters, depictions, places,   
and theories that have been put into place are   
my own creation and have no relevance to Tenchi   
Muyo in any way except in the ways I've   
explained. These are my own thoughts and   
imagination, and any relation to other stories   
that are not my own are accidental. Honest.   
  
My e-mail is kerrigan2001@attbi.com for   
any and all feedback. Please, PLEASE SEND   
FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND!!! Thank you! ^-^  
  
Author's note: This is where the action   
actually starts, so I thought I'd warn all of   
you battle junkies....  
  
All right, enough talk....  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~Tenchi Muyo: The Web of Life~~~  
Chapter 3:Bokkens and Reconnaissance(Rev.5.0)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"And that is all for your lessons for   
today, Tenchi. And thank you, Ashe, for   
joining us as well." Katsuhito spoke, bowing   
to both of the young men, who returned the bow   
in deep respect. Both young men took this free   
moment to yawn audibly; it had been several   
days since Ashe's rescue, and Tenchi wasn't   
able to get a complete night's sleep   
considering that Ayeka and Ryoko kept him out   
on the town for most of the night on another of   
their dates. Ashe, since Ryoko decided to move   
back into her own room again, was forced to   
sleep on the couch which was found to be not as   
comfortable as he might have hoped. Both young   
men turned to each other and began to walk from   
the priest, who eyed the two as they left.  
  
"Hey, Ashe, I heard that you finished the   
rest of the carrot fields in record time.   
That's some feat; I can't get half of them done   
in a week, let alone two in an hour. I'm   
impressed, for a newcomer." Tenchi noted,   
giving a resolute nod of approval at the   
wanderer and motioned him to follow to the   
stairs that led down away from the training   
area. The training area Ashe currently found   
himself in was one of the few large meadows   
that one might find on the shrine mountain, and   
this particular meadows size was rare, indeed.   
After giving the area a quick look around, Ashe   
brought his attention to Tenchi and gave a   
smile at his newfound friend.  
  
"Not a problem, Tenchi. I appreciate the   
hospitality with my unexpected arrival,   
considering I can imagine what your family   
seems to think of me. I've gotten the distinct   
impression that unexpected visitors aren't   
always welcome in this area of the world."   
Ashe replied. Tenchi gave a surprised mental   
step back, thinking that he'd given the wrong   
impression from what he had said.  
  
"Ah, I'm sorry about that. You see, when   
someone drops in the way you did, you end up   
catching the wrong side of people in this   
family. It's not meant to be disrespectful,   
just we've become rather cautious of things   
that just pop up out of nowhere." Tenchi spoke   
hurriedly. Ashe nodded in sad understanding,   
and began to walk alongside Tenchi as they   
neared the edge of the training area. A loud   
cough was heard from behind both of them, and   
both young men turned to face the priest.  
  
"Ashe, if you would be so kind, I would   
like to have a talk with you. We've not been   
properly introduced except for this particular   
morning, so if you'd be so kind, please." The   
wanderer gave Katsuhito a joyful nod of   
approval.  
  
"I'd be honored, sir. I won't be able to   
stay for very long unfortunately; I'm taking   
the place of Tenchi for sweeping the temple   
steps, so I'll have to be quick. Is that   
alright?" Ashe replied.   
  
Katsuhito gave the young Masaki boy a   
raised eyebrow, to which Tenchi sighed and   
dropped his head in response. Ashe felt   
tension spring into the air and tried to   
recover the earlier mood.   
  
"I'm guessing that I've done something   
wrong by taking over Tenchi's chores. I   
apologize, sir, but I felt it was a fitting   
payment for what he was willing to do when he   
found me the night before last," Ashe   
continued.Tenchi began to visibly become   
uncomfortable as the priest looked Ashe over,   
and then his grandson. Tenchi mentally planned   
out what most likely was going to happen;   
Grandpa would tell me that I'm attempting to   
neglect my responsibilities again, and that a   
guest shouldn't have to do such things while   
staying at this house. But Ashe had demanded   
that he take them; it was like he couldn't   
stand the thought of letting someone walk away   
from him without repaying what he thought was a   
debt. It's kind of strange to think there's   
someone like myself in the world.   
  
"I will not mind you starting on the   
temple steps later on in the day. However, I   
would like to know of you, as you most likely   
have stories I may find interesting." The   
wanderer plastered on a sheepish grin, and   
shook his head to deny it. The young Masaki   
nearly jumped when he heard Katsuhito thank   
Ashe for being willing to repay his debt to   
Tenchi.  
  
"They wouldn't be very interesting, sir.   
I'm a wanderer, that's all; most of them would   
be about my nearly getting killed or beaten   
down by a horde of angry villagers. Ever since   
I was born, I've always had the nagging feeling   
that I don't belong; every place that I'd   
travel to just seems to prove those theories   
right. No offense." Ashe explained, motioning   
his apology toward the two men that stood with   
him in the field. Tenchi shrugged his   
shoulders in understanding, and Katsuhito   
nodded in agreement.  
  
"Nonetheless, humor an old man, would   
you?" The priest requested with a gleam in his   
ancient eyes. Ashe dropped his own head in   
defeat, realizing there was no way to get away   
from this. Tenchi began to sit down,   
interested to hear of Ashe's wanderings,   
when Katsuhito cleared his throat a second time   
and began speaking again. "Tenchi, your father   
had made it clear to me that you have NOT been   
keeping the storage area for our vegetables   
sorted and clean. While your newfound friend   
and I talk, you will begin on that immediately,   
understood?" Tenchi stood back up quickly, and   
bowed toward his grandfather.  
  
"Hai, grandfather," Tenchi breathed, and   
let a faint look of disappointment cross his   
face as he took the steps down away from the   
training grounds toward home. Ashe called out   
to Tenchi as the young man traversed the   
stairs.  
  
"Don't worry, Tenchi! I've got a story   
that you might find interesting; I'll tell it   
to you at lunch, okay?" Both men heard an   
half-enthusiastic voice jump up from the   
stairs.   
  
"Alright! I'll see you then," the voice   
was heard saying. Ashe smiled, and turned back   
toward Tenchi's grandfather. Katsuhito nodded   
to Ashe and strode to the edge of the training   
area and picked up two of the several bokkens   
that had been in use during Tenchi's training   
exercises. He held one up for himself and   
handed the other to Ashe, handle out. Ashe   
held up his own hands, and took a step back   
away from the bokken.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm not a warrior. I   
apologize for this, but I'm not one for doing   
battle of any kind." The wanderer explained, a   
look of somberness clouding his face, and took   
another step back. Katsuhito stepped in to   
close the distance, still brandishing the   
reversed bokken toward Ashe. The priest had a   
deadpan seriousness hovering over his face as   
he began to speak.  
  
"I will be serious with you, Ashe. Where   
my grandson was hesitant to explain, I will   
continue. We have become wary with newcomers   
from the stars. The family is concerned with   
your sudden arrival at the house; Ryoko and   
Ayeka are more so, though the words that you   
speak have pointed to the opposite.   
  
"However, I must know how you would fare   
in battle as this home has been the target of   
both dangerous and powerful enemies in the   
past. If it is possible that you can fight,   
you may be a great asset to us in our home's   
protection while you are here. So please,   
simply spar with me for but a moment," the   
priest explained, and motioned the bokken   
toward Ashe a third time. This time the   
wanderer did not move away.  
  
The wanderer lifted his arms and gingerly   
took the smoothed handle of the outstretched   
weapon into his hands. Letting Ashe become   
more intimately acquainted with the wooden   
blade, Katsuhito watched the wanderer's   
expressions change from misunderstanding and   
fear slowly fade into curiosity and fondness   
for the weapon in his hands as he caressed and   
held it. It's like he's found a forgotten   
memory, the priest mentally noted, as he   
watched Ashe begin to move and slide.   
  
As Ashe became seemingly lost in the   
motions of wielding the blade in various   
positions the wanderer moved the blade, at one   
point, with a speed that blurred the weapon   
from sight. Stopping with a practiced halt,   
the wanderer turned and faced Katsuhito from   
his side of the training area roughly twenty   
bokken lengths away. Ashe bowed his head low,   
and held the blade horizontally out in front of   
him.  
  
"I guess I'm ready, sir." Ashe spoke   
quietly, as if hoping that the words wouldn't   
be heard.  
  
"Alright, then, let us begin!" The   
priest exclaimed, and took his position,   
dropping himself into a fighting stance. Ashe   
witnessed Katsuhito's motions and followed   
through in a likewise, though less graceful   
motion. Several seconds passed without anyone   
or anything moving around or between the two   
sparring partners. As the wanderer peered at   
Katsuhito through slotted eyes, a single cherry   
blossom drifted through the space between them.   
Eyeing the blossom for just a moment, both men   
watched the blossom slowly drift and spin   
between them, and just as suddenly drop to the   
ground. Each man growled a battle cry as they   
charged; each man yelled in fury as the bokkens   
closed in on each other for dominance, and each   
man burned with the thrill of combat for the   
first time in a long time as the two wooden   
blades made contact.  
  
KKEEEEEEEEEEEEE-RAK!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"And after all of that, the singer just   
hops onstage and yells into the microphone,   
'C'mon! Just one more time, everybody, now!'"   
Ashe blurted, laughing hysterically. Tenchi's   
own eyes turned to saucers, and busted out   
laughing as well. The two men sat on the pier   
looking out toward the lake, watching the fish   
jump for the insects that hovered over the   
water and laughing about their own stories.   
  
Ashe held chopsticks in one hand, eating   
a bowl of ramen and talking while Tenchi   
finished his own bowl as well. The two men had   
changed out of their dirtied working clothes   
and into something a little cleaner. Ashe   
chose to wear a black athletic shirt, with   
emerald green sweatpants, while Tenchi had   
decided on a white long-sleeved shirt and navy-  
blue sweatpants. As the laughter in the young   
men subsided, Tenchi gave a delighted pat on   
Ashe's shoulder for a second and smiled   
faintly.  
  
"You know, Ashe, it must seem kind of   
strange to you, seeing people like us seemingly   
conspire against a new guest like this. We're   
just so used, I guess, to having so many people   
stop in and try to destroy the house or take   
someone hostage that we've forgotten that once   
in a while somebody nice drops in. Thanks for   
the breather." Tenchi spoke, taking his gaze   
back out toward the lake in front of them.   
Ashe gave a bewildered smile to the young man,   
and nodded his thanks.  
  
"I wouldn't blame you in all honesty, if   
you had wanted to get rid of me or even attack   
me on sight, though," the wanderer explained   
between bites of ramen, looking out over the   
water as the sun began edge itself away from   
its noon-time position in the sky. "I'm   
actually surprised that you took me in this   
fast; most of the other places and planets I've   
been to have been more content trying to find   
out what color my blood was or how fast I ran   
out of town, than if I was friendly enough to   
talk to."  
  
Tenchi took a free moment to stare at the   
wanderer; the young white-haired man had closed   
his eyes tightly, as if he were trying to block   
out some painful memories that fought to break   
the surface. Tenchi looked back toward the   
lake, thinking of a way to lighten the mood   
that seemed to poison their current   
conversation. Both men jumped when they heard   
Katsuhito's voice from behind. Ashe turned to   
see the priest standing at the main dock of the   
house, watching the young men with a raised   
eyebrow.  
  
"Tenchi, Ashe, it is nearing time for   
lunch," the priest stated, and looked out over   
the horizon. Dark, thick clouds began to creep   
over the sky, and the lukewarm breeze that   
hovered around the men was becoming slightly   
chilled. "Your chores for the day will be   
suspended due to the rain, for both of you.   
However, when it passes I'll expect you both to   
finish as soon as it will be possible,   
understood?" The young men both nodded in   
agreement, and stood up to walk down the pier   
toward the house. Katsuhito stood quietly as   
Ayeka passed both men as they made their way   
into the house. The princess's head was   
drooped, and her hands were tucked into the   
sleeves of her silver and navy blue kimono; her   
navy blue cloak barely covered her shoulders.   
Deep in thought, Ayeka began to walk toward the   
temple steps, never realizing until far too   
late that she ran straight into Katsuhito.  
  
"Oof! What's wrong, Ayeka?" The priest   
questioned, cocking his head to the side and   
looking Ayeka over with a concerned stare. She   
hurriedly brushed herself off, and gave a small   
glance to Katsuhito, shaking her head slowly.  
  
"Nothing, nothing is wrong, brother. I   
simply have decided to sit alone and think   
about several things would be all. Thank you   
for your concern, however, and please tell   
Tenchi and Sasami not to worry about me; I will   
return in time for our midday meal." Ayeka   
replied, her words half whispered. The priest   
gave her another worried look, and stepped to   
the side.  
  
"Alright then, sister, I will let them   
know. Remember that if you do need to talk to   
someone, we're not far away," the priest   
explained with an understanding smile. Ayeka   
gave a faint nod and briskly made her way to   
and up the temple steps toward her chosen   
destination, while Katsuhito swiftly made his   
way inside. After several more minutes the   
princess stood in front of her chosen place of   
meditation; the cave that Ryoko had been   
imprisoned in. She settled down in front of   
the entrance and looked to the clouds that had   
finished creeping over the sky above to block   
out the most of the light available. Several   
drops of water had begun to fall to earth; the   
clouds parted at slight and random intervals to   
allow shard-like beams of light to shine   
through.  
  
Bowing her head slightly Ayeka sat on the   
steps of the shrine, silently agreeing with the   
storm as thunder rolled through like angels on   
a warpath. As she listened to the thunder   
blare out and lightning carve niches into the   
clouds that created them, Ayeka began to talk   
aloud her more intimate thoughts.  
  
"What is it that I haven't done, Tenchi?   
I've tried nearly everything that a decent   
woman would attempt, and considered ideas that   
others wouldn't dare. I just cannot understand   
what it is about you that I can't seem to win   
over," she whispered to herself. Even though   
she'd been able to spend a much larger amount   
of time with Tenchi since Ashe's arrival, she   
still felt she was losing ground to Ryoko in   
their little duel.  
  
The rain began to fall harder onto the   
ground just outside of Ayeka's position at the   
cave; reaching out with her hands, the princess   
captured a small cupful of rainwater and let it   
drip and slide down her arms. Letting the   
purifying feeling of the water comfort her as   
it slithered down, Ayeka tilted her head back   
and closed her eyes. Letting the rain kiss her   
face and slip past her lips, the princess   
allowed herself a faint smile as she ran her   
slender fingers through her hair as she   
caressed her headband key. Carefully pulling   
the headband away from her head, she pushed her   
bangs aside to wipe her forehead, stopping her   
fingers on the marking she felt; a singular   
crescent moon, creating a haphazard 'V' shape.   
The markings reminded her of her current   
position in life, and she began to think of her   
future status as queen and ruler of Jurai. She   
sighed heavily, and dropped her hands onto her   
knees.  
  
"I hope you can return my love someday,   
Tenchi, because I do not know if I can wait   
forever." She kept her eyes closed as she   
stared at the sky, thinking about her current   
situation. Although Ayeka wouldn't admit to it   
openly, she envied Ryoko; her lewd, yet open   
attitude toward Tenchi and the others was   
something that Ayeka couldn't dare display.   
Yet, at the same time, that same attitude was   
something that she craved to have. To be able   
to express her feelings about everything   
simply, truthfully, without fear of resentment   
or rejection was what Ayeka was striving to   
have as part of her. She silently hoped that   
by overcoming her royal station and being   
simply Ayeka, she could close the gap between   
the two girls and finally be able to reach out   
to Tenchi without any fears. And, Ayeka hoped,   
without rejection.  
  
It was those same thoughts,   
unfortunately, that kept the princess from   
realizing a tall black and white haired woman   
clothed in a black, sliver-striped body suit   
phase into being directly behind her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dropping down from above onto the Masaki   
residence the rain beat on the windows and roof   
with focused measure, doing nothing but adding   
to the tension existing inside. Tenchi sat in   
a chair that faced the pier and outer porch   
area, looking out toward the temple steps.   
Ryoko, Mihoshi, and the others were watching an   
animated television program while they waited   
for lunch to finish being prepared. The pirate   
gave Tenchi a forlorn face as the young Masaki   
waited for Ayeka's return.  
  
"C'mon, Tenchi, you're missing your   
favorite show," Ryoko spoke, patting the open   
space next to her on the couch, "And you know   
Ayeka will be fine; she's a big girl, you   
know." Tenchi turned to look at Ryoko and gave   
a sweet smile, which warmed up the pirate a   
visible amount.  
  
"I know, but I still worry about her."   
Tenchi explained, drooping his head slightly in   
self-worry. Tenchi put his eyes back on the   
window that he stared out earlier, which didn't   
allow him to see Ryoko wince visibly. "I'd do   
the same for you if you'd ever ask for time   
alone, so please don't be hurt if I do this for   
Ayeka, too." Ryoko gasped mentally, and   
teleported off of the couch over toward   
Tenchi's place on his chair. Wrapping her arms   
around Tenchi's neck, Ryoko rested her head on   
his right shoulder and sighed into his ear;   
Tenchi tensed up as usual, but didn't take his   
eyes off of the temple steps that Ayeka would   
appear from.   
  
"That means a lot, Tenchi. Thank you."   
Ryoko whispered to Tenchi, nuzzling his ear as   
she spoke. That got a reaction out of Tenchi,   
whose eyes shot open wide.  
  
"I'm happy that I made you feel better,   
Ryoko." Tenchi rushed out of his mouth, now   
torn between doing something about the intense   
affection from Ryoko and waiting patiently for   
Ayeka's return. While the pirate began trying   
to get Tenchi to look at her long enough to   
kiss, Sasami had entered the room carrying a   
pot of steaming food. Setting it down in the   
middle of the table, the younger princess   
looked around and put up a worried face.  
  
"Where's Ayeka?" Sasami wondered aloud,   
which brought Tenchi's attention away from   
Ryoko's blatant innuendo.  
  
"She still hasn't come back from her time   
alone. She said she'd be back in time for   
lunch. I'll go get her." Tenchi said,   
standing up quickly. Ryoko's grip on Tenchi   
didn't lessen in the slightest, and she was   
quickly dragged upwards and over the back of   
the chair. Ryoko took a free moment to eye her   
current position, and leveled her gaze at the   
back of the young Masaki's head.  
  
"Either you're getting stronger, or I'm   
losing my touch," Ryoko muttered out loud,   
which brought a smothered laugh from Washu on   
the couch where she sat working on research.   
"No comments from the peanut gallery, either."   
Ryoko shot to the girl genius, as she let the   
young Masaki go toward the closet to get his   
rain coat. Blinking twice, Tenchi then grabbed   
a long navy-blue rain coat hanging in the now   
normal closet and quickly donned it. Making   
his way back toward the door out, he gave a   
quick smile to Ryoko and the others.  
  
"I'll be right back; I'm just going to   
bring Ayeka back to the house for lunch.   
Ryoko, if you could please," Tenchi asked,   
giving a more serious look to the pirate, "Just   
stay here while I go and get Ayeka?" Ryoko   
huffed and stubbornly looked out the window   
toward the rain.  
  
"Fine, whatever you want," she vented,   
trying in vain to conceal the hurt that edged   
itself through her voice. Tenchi tossed the   
hood over his head, and after looking back at   
the pirate for several seconds in quiet   
thought, stepped out into the rain. Slowly and   
carefully making his way up the steps, Tenchi   
called out to Ayeka several times as he made   
his rounds about the residence. When he got no   
response, Tenchi stopped at the apex of the   
temple steps and began thinking aloud.  
  
"If I was someone who wanted time alone   
from the others, where would I go?" Tenchi   
wondered, looking about the temple grounds.   
His thoughts stopped rather quickly, when   
Tenchi thought about who Ayeka would want to be   
alone from. Not wasting any time, the young   
Masaki bolted toward and up the path that led   
to the cave shrine. Reaching the area   
surrounding the cave, Tenchi gave an audible   
gasp; kneeling down on the rain-soaked ground   
was an obviously muddy and dirty Ayeka; her   
kimono and robes covered in mud, barely   
recognizable. The princess's head was covered   
by her cloak hood, so Tenchi couldn't tell   
exactly if Ayeka was conscious or even alive;   
her kimono was so covered in mud and rain that   
the colors more closely resembled a deep brown   
and grey than navy blue and silver. The young   
Masaki rushed up to Ayeka's side and quickly   
looked her over.  
  
"Ayeka, what happened to you? Are you   
awake? Can you hear me?!" Tenchi blurted out,   
looking over the elder princess's form with   
quickened worry. Ayeka groaned and began to   
push Tenchi away from her.   
  
"I'll be fine, Lord Tenchi, just provide   
me a moment to stand." She made an attempt to   
right herself on her own, but fell backwards   
into Tenchi's arms as she faltered. Ayeka   
blushed a great deal when she realized that   
Tenchi was looking down at her from her rather   
odd position, and hurriedly closed her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fall into   
you like that!" Ayeka blurted aloud, trying to   
stand herself upright yet again. Tenchi shook   
his head in silent laughter, and gave the   
princess a helping hand with a firm yet tender   
grip on her forearms. "I slipped and fell into   
the mud, and I just couldn't get a firm enough   
hold on the ground to stand again. I feel so   
helpless…" she continued, her voice choking   
with embarrassment and self-resentment.   
Tenchi's eyes shot open wide with Ayeka's last   
words; he'd never heard the princess explain   
herself in that way before, not in the entire   
time that he'd ever known her. His face grew   
stern as he brushed the dirt and leaves off of   
Ayeka's back and shoulders.  
  
"You are not helpless, Ayeka, and don't   
let anyone convince you otherwise. You were   
willing to help me when I needed you, and for   
that I'll always be grateful." Tenchi   
explained, and the princess's tense form   
relaxed a great deal; At least she's not so   
melancholy, he thought to himself. Putting a   
hand on Ayeka's shoulder, Tenchi gave a faint   
smile to the princess despite the fact that she   
stood facing away from him. "Now, c'mon,   
Sasami's gotten lunch ready and she won't serve   
us until you come back to the house. She   
always wants your opinion on her cooking, you   
know; so you can't keep her waiting and   
wondering, will you?" The princess gave a   
faint laugh, though Tenchi sensed it was tinged   
with a bit of sadness.  
  
"No, I guess not." Ayeka spoke. As the   
elder princess dusted the remaining dirt off of   
the front of herself, the two heard a groan   
emanate from inside the cave shrine. Tenchi   
turned to see a pale young girl stumble out of   
the opening to the cave, her purple hair strewn   
in every direction. The girl grasped her   
headband in one hand, and held her forehead in   
the other. She looked up at the two standing   
out in the open area in front and gasped in   
surprise. Tenchi took a couple of steps out   
toward the Ayeka coming out of the cave and   
stopped in confusion for several seconds,   
looking back then at the Ayeka that had fallen   
in mud.   
  
"What in the world is going on? Ayeka,   
what is going on he-uurrk!" Tenchi asked the   
mud soaked Ayeka, but couldn't finish his   
words. Tenchi turned to face the Ayeka nearest   
him, when the mud-covered princess's hand shot   
out and firmly gripped Tenchi by the throat.   
Quickly hoisting the young Masaki off of his   
feet, the muddied Ayeka quickly began to   
transform herself; her body seemed to slim out   
and grow longer, and her bosom faded into a   
smaller size. Her purple hair deepened into a   
near-pitch black, with white stripes fading in   
as well. The thing that caught Tenchi's   
attention the most was the transformed   
creature's eyes; her purple and silver eyes had   
a deadened, artificial look to them.   
  
"May the test begin," The artificial   
mused flatly, blinking slowly at the young   
Masaki. Bringing up her free hand and aiming   
it at Tenchi's chest, the creature began to   
summon up a small orb of energy, pulsing and   
crackling with a pale yellow. The young   
Masaki's eyes grew huge with unbridled fear as   
the orb in the artificial's hand grew both in   
size and intensity. As the orb flared its   
deadly form one last time, Tenchi made one last   
attempt to break free; all he could manage was   
a near-silent scream.  
  
Blinding yellow and red were all that   
Tenchi saw before darkness overtook his eyes.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"It's done! It's done!" Washu exclaimed,   
jumping up onto the couch and peered into the   
floating monitor that hovered in front of her.   
Mihoshi stopped her current activity, which was   
eating an apple while watching the afternoon   
soap opera, and glanced over at the child   
genius from the center of the couch. Ryo-ohki,   
who sat at the farthest end, even took a moment   
to stop chewing on her carrot to take a look   
over toward Washu's direction.  
  
"What're you talking about, Washu?" the   
space officer asked, scratching her head   
quizzically. The child genius gave Mihoshi a   
level-eyed stare before speaking.  
  
"I might tell you, but you have to   
promise me one thing." Washu spoke quietly,   
closing her eyes and covering the monitor with   
her hands. Mihoshi beamed a giant smile at the   
scientist while chewing on a rather large bite   
of apple, while Washu turned her head to look   
at the space officer.  
  
"Oh really, what's that?" she asked   
innocently, putting a finger to her chin in   
wonderment. Washu raised one eyebrow and gave   
yet another level-eyed stare at Mihoshi.  
  
"Never step foot in my laboratory for the   
entire time you live here unless you're   
accompanied by Tenchi, one of the girls, me, or   
a platoon of armed guards!!" Washu exclaimed,   
scaring the daylights out of Mihoshi. She   
jumped back, nearly crushing the life out of   
Ryo-ohki; the little cabbit meowed in   
desperation and clawed her way out from   
underneath Mihoshi.   
  
"I'm sorry, Ryo-Ohki! I didn't mean to   
squash you like that!" Mihoshi explained while   
giving Ryo-ohki an apologetic look, though the   
cabbit seemed not to notice. After freeing   
herself from current situation, Ryo-ohki   
quickly grabbed her half eaten carrot and gave   
a 'Watch where you sit!' look at the space   
officer. She bolted off toward the large chair   
where Sasami sat, and sat down on the younger   
princess's lap to resume eating her carrot.   
  
"Oh, and yeah, I won't walk into you lab   
unless… what was that list again?" Washu   
slapped her head, and muttered something about   
bubbleheads. At the table, sitting with and   
writing in a large leather-bound journal, was   
Ashe. His hair was neatly pulled back into an   
intricately woven ponytail, and a portion of it   
was draped across his shoulder as he wrote. He   
tapped a ballpoint pen to his lips in thought   
for a moment, and closed the journal. Standing   
up slowly and stretching out for several   
moments, the wanderer gave a slightly quizzical   
look to everyone.  
  
"I'm in the mood for something to drink;   
would anyone like something while I go get   
something for myself?" Ashe asked aloud; Washu   
and Mihoshi stopped talking for a moment and   
gave the wanderer a quick glance.   
  
"I'll take a soda, please." Mihoshi   
mused aloud, and turned back toward Washu. The   
child scientist gave a pleasant smile toward   
Ashe, and threw her arms over the back of the   
couch.  
  
"Hmm. I'd like green tea, with honey for   
sweetener, if you please," the scientist said,   
and turned back to Mihoshi to finish her   
conversation. Ashe nodded his affirmation, and   
cocked his head toward the younger princess's   
direction while he backed himself toward the   
kitchen door.  
  
"Anything for you, Sasami?" the wanderer   
asked. When he didn't get a reply, Ashe began   
walking toward and around the couch in an   
attempt to see the younger princess. As he   
leaned over the couch to get a view on Sasami,   
his eyes furrowed with concern.  
  
"Sasami?" The two girls on the couch   
stopped talking when Washu saw the wanderer   
bending over behind Mihoshi. All of them look   
a quick glance at Sasami; the girls dropped   
what they were doing and rushed over to the   
younger princess's side in grave recognition of   
what was going on. Sasami's eyes were open   
extremely wide, with her reddish-pink pupils   
were dilated and her breathing coming in ragged   
gasps. While it wasn't apparent to everyone in   
the room, Washu had a very good clue what was   
going on; Sasami was in the process of seeing a   
vision.  
  
"Sasami!" Washu half-yelled at the   
princess, in a haphazard attempt to break her   
out of the trance. However the princess didn't   
budge or move at all; Ryo-ohki meowed   
desperately and gently pawed at the younger   
princess's nose in her own attempt to wake the   
entranced princess. Ashe's eyes went huge with   
apprehension as he witnessed the younger   
princess going through her trancelike vision.  
  
"Ashe, get some water and towels from the   
kitchen, quick!" Washu blurted out, giving a   
quick look over the young princess as she   
checked her vital signs. The wanderer shook   
himself out of his awestruck state of mind as   
he bolted into the kitchen to gather the   
necessary items. As Ashe gathered the towels   
and other things, his eyes began to shimmer   
with moisture; a singular tear slipped past his   
defenses as Ashe filled a small bowl with some   
water from the faucet. As the wanderer wiped   
the remnants of the tear that clung to his   
face, he grabbed all of the items and carefully   
walked them over to the small crowd that   
gathered over Sasami. As the girl's breathing   
slowed down, and her eyes began to refocus on   
her surroundings, Sasami began to get teary.  
  
"If... If Sasami is alright, I'm going to   
go into the kitchen for a little while." Ashe   
spoke quietly, as Mihoshi and Washu took turns   
calming down and soothing the obviously shook   
up princess. Stopping only for a moment to   
pick up his journal off of the table, he strode   
over toward the door to the kitchen, and   
quickly made his way through the kitchen and   
toward the outside of the house.   
  
"Alright Sasami, what happened?" Washu   
asked, concern straining her youthful face.   
Sasami blinked harshly, trying to find the   
words to speak.  
  
"I had… a vision. It was about Tenchi;   
he got hurt, and Ryoko and Ayeka had to protect   
him. And Ashe..." Sasami whispered, nearly   
choking on the words to the last sentence.   
Washu gave a wide eyed stare at the younger   
princess. The child scientist took Sasami's   
hand into her own, and held it firmly.  
  
"What about Ashe, Sasami? What is it   
that scares you about Ashe? You've got to tell   
me what it is! Is he a threat?" Washu   
questioned, attempting to ask the younger   
princess without alarming her further than she   
already was. The princess pulled away and   
started bawling all over again while she poured   
out the words that burned bitterly on her   
tongue.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, in a well hidden meadow on a   
mountain not far from the Masaki shrine stood   
Ryoko; she had complete transformed her   
previous clothing into her battle outfit,   
complete with energy blade and angry sneer.   
The crimson blade cast an eerie shade of red on   
the meadow, giving the look that the whole area   
was covered in blood; her damp hair was flopped   
over her eyes, barely letting the pirate see   
her opponent. Opposite the length of the   
meadow stood the black and white haired shape   
shifter, her arms crossed in front of her as   
she stood looking at the pirate. The   
artificial's body was as rigid as the mountain   
she stood upon, with a blank and emotionless   
stare covering her face. Several more feet   
away to the side of the artificial lay the   
prone and unconscious body of Tenchi Masaki.   
Ayeka, who had almost completely recovered from   
her own ordeal, moved slowly out of the cave   
entrance and began eyeing the two women in   
front of her carefully as she took in the   
situation. The rain slowed down to a faint   
drizzle, though no one was paying any mind at   
this point.   
  
"This is not the way this test was   
intended to begin," the artificial remarked   
flatly and placed her arms to her sides, palms   
facing the ground. Small yellow bolts of   
energy twitched and screamed into being,   
jumping from the ground to her hands and   
between her fingertips as she stared down her   
current opponent. "But, nonetheless, I will   
carry out my intentions; the rules,   
unfortunately, will have to change   
accordingly." Ryoko was now baring her teeth   
in open lividness at the opponent in front of   
her, in response to the artificial's spoken   
words.  
  
"A TEST!? If you really thought you   
could stop in and pull a pop quiz like this,   
you must be brain damaged!" Ryoko roared,   
pointing the energy blade at her opponent to   
emphasize the point. The artificial blinked   
twice, and furrowed her brow in odd confusion.  
  
"I am an artificial being; I do not have   
a brain to damage. But that is not the issue   
at hand; the test must continue." The   
artificial stated, taking a quick glance at   
first the pirate, then Ayeka, then the   
unconscious Masaki lying nearby. Ryoko,   
noticing the divided attention of the   
artificial, glanced over at the princess; she   
was standing at the bottom steps of the cave,   
now, and had placed her headpiece back onto her   
head. Ayeka brought her gaze toward Ryoko, who   
purposefully glanced over toward Tenchi's form,   
and quickly nodded. Understanding the cues,   
both girls tensed up and faced the artificial,   
ready to begin.   
  
"You mind telling me your name, bitch?"   
Ryoko breathed through gritted teeth. The   
artificial brought her attention back toward   
Ryoko, and audibly sighed.   
  
"My name, if you must know, is Ersatzu;   
though why you want such information is unclear   
to me," the artificial spoke, raising an   
eyebrow in a questioning look. Ryoko choked   
out a vengeful laugh, and pushed her rain-  
soaked locks of hair out of her sight. Eyeing   
Ersatzu with a deadly serious gaze, the pirate   
readied her blade out in front.  
  
"Simple. I'd need to know what to carve   
on your tombstone." The whole meadow went   
silent, except for the faint sound of rain   
falling onto the trees around them. It seemed   
like several seconds passed without any of the   
people within the meadow moving or breathing,   
as if time had frozen in place for all of them.  
  
"Now!" Ryoko yelled, and both princess   
and pirate began a dead run for the artificial.   
Ersatzu braced herself for the coming attack,   
stopping her electrical display and summoning   
up her own energy blade; slightly smaller than   
Ryoko's own weapon, but crackling and spurting   
yellow bolts as if eager for the upcoming   
combat. Realizing the intent of the two   
warriors bearing down on her, Ersatzu used her   
free hand to loose several small energy bolts   
directly between the princess and the   
unconscious Masaki; Ayeka screeched to a halt,   
barely avoiding the mud and debris kicked up by   
the explosive charges. Ersatzu, satisfied with   
slowing one of her opponents, then brought her   
full attention on an enraged Ryoko. The pirate   
slashed and thrusted several times in an   
attempt to damage the artificial; however, all   
of them were cleanly dodged or parried.   
Ersatzu frowned at the display of skill that   
Ryoko presented, and back flipped several feet   
away from the pirate. Ryoko gave the   
artificial no quarter, flying in immediately   
behind her in every attempt to keep pace. The   
artificial, immediately after landing her jump,   
made another fast attempt to figure out the   
position of her enemies; she caught a glimpse   
of Ayeka with Tenchi in her arms, running   
toward the temple steps while Ryoko quickly put   
herself into Ersatzu's face, her energy sword   
thirsting for blood. Ersatzu cleanly dodged   
another set of thrusts, and moved quickly to   
Ryoko's left. The pirate dodged the oncoming   
slice, but barely; she felt the fiery sting of   
Ersatzu's blade cut and cauterize the wound in   
one fell strike. Ryoko bolted high into the   
air and away from the artificial, putting the   
rest of her body between the injured arm and   
Ersatzu. The artificial didn't move; she stood   
poised and unmoving in the final portion of the   
swinging arc that injured Ryoko. Ersatzu   
tilted her head to look at the pirate.  
  
"So much potential put to waste; how   
disappointing," Ersatzu declared, slowly   
shifting her body into a standing position.   
"Nonetheless, I have the information that I   
require, and my presence here is no longer   
necessary." Ryoko threw several of her own   
energy bolts toward Ersatzu, but the artificial   
phased away from the attack without a thought.   
Ersatzu phased back into being several hundred   
feet above Ryoko, and extended her arms; bright   
yellow orbs began filling her outstretched   
hands, growing more intense and crackling   
loudly as the moments passed. Without wasting   
a second, Ersatzu hurled them both at the   
Masaki home. Ryoko turned to witness the two   
orbs speeding their way downward and   
earthbound; muttering curses under her breath,   
she phased from her current position to a point   
in the sky directly between the house and the   
two screaming orbs that were making their   
descent.   
  
"I can't believe I'm doing this." Ryoko   
breathed, as the orbs neared her position. The   
pirate gritted her teeth in an attempt to brace   
herself for the pain that she knew was coming.   
As the orbs followed their course, the pirate's   
eyes and form blazed a deep red, while the gem   
that was embedded into her right wrist began to   
glow a heavy crimson as well. A primal scream   
ripped past Ryoko's lips as she caught both   
orbs, one in each hand. Slamming together her   
hands in a mute 'pop', the pirate dispersed the   
energy orbs, never taking her eyes off of   
Ersatzu. The artificial raised an eyebrow at   
Ryoko as the pirate gave a cocky smile back.  
  
"It seems that I have underestimated your   
capabilities; an oversight that was corrected   
in excellent time. However, I still have what   
I require; we will most likely meet again,"   
Ersatzu said, as she phased slowly out of the   
skies above the Masaki household. "And then, we   
shall see if you are as skillful as you seem to   
be." With that, the artificial winked out of   
sight. The pirate hovered in place for several   
seconds, and then breathed out a heavy sigh.   
She turned back toward the house to witness   
Ayeka taking Tenchi into the house by way of   
the pier doors; she quickly teleported down   
into the living room to see exactly what   
Tenchi's condition was. He was placed on the   
couch, and his raincoat and shirt removed to   
look for any broken bones or bleeding. Sasami   
and Mihoshi were standing behind the couch and   
watching, concern and worry was etched onto   
their faces. Ryo-ohki was perched between the   
two girls on the back of the couch, meowing in   
a desperate and saddened tone. Washu quickly   
took her place in front of the injured Tenchi,   
and brought her holo pad into being. A faint   
yellow beam whisked itself up and down the   
unconscious form of the young Masaki, as the   
holo pad scanned Tenchi's body for any further   
sign of injury. After several seconds the beam   
disappeared, and the young scientist made her   
diagnosis.  
  
"Tenchi is unconscious and has numerous   
bruises and scrapes, but he's not damaged in   
any major or life-threatening way. Whatever   
you two fought," Washu stated, turning away   
from the couch to look at the two girls, "It   
seems that she didn't want him dead." Ryoko   
rolled her eyes at the scientist, and took the   
towel that Mihoshi had offered to dry herself   
off.  
  
"Could've fooled me; but are you sure   
that Tenchi is fine otherwise?" Ryoko   
questioned, floating over toward the couch to   
appease her own uneasiness about Tenchi's   
condition. Washu gave her daughter a look of   
obvious annoyance, and sighed.  
  
"Yes, I'm quite sure. You know, I'm   
beginning to think that you all just don't   
believe me when I say he'll be alright! I am   
the greatest scientific mind in the galaxy,   
after all!" Washu declared, putting her index   
finger into the air to emphasize her words. As   
both Ryoko and Ayeka gave each other annoyed   
looks, Ashe came into the living room from the   
kitchen. Giving a confused look at everyone,   
the wanderer scratched his head and began to   
ask a question he never got to finish. Ryoko   
and Ashe's eyes locked for a moment, and the   
pirate's face shifted rapidly from concern,   
then to surprise, and finally settled itself on   
displaying blatant rage. Ryoko picked up the   
wanderer by the collar of the black long   
sleeved shirt he was wearing, and forcefully   
walked him straight into and against the wall   
behind him. The planks and drywall cracked   
underneath the pressure as the wanderer began   
to gasp for breath. Ryoko put her face right   
into the wanderer's own, and looked straight   
into Ashe's awestruck eyes.  
  
"You have exactly ten seconds to explain   
yourself, before I begin finding out what part   
of you doesn't grow back."  
  
End of Chapter 3  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	4. Chapter 4: Insights and Promises

Tenchi Muyo is the property of Pioneer   
and AIC. I've no intention of using this to   
garner profits of any kind or type, so unless   
you like to take a poor man's computer away   
from him, please don't sue me!? Please?  
  
All other characters, depictions, places,   
and theories that have been put into place are   
my own creation and have no relevance to Tenchi   
Muyo in any way except in the ways I've   
explained. These are my own thoughts and   
imagination, and any relation to other stories   
that are not my own are accidental. Honest.   
  
My e-mail is kerrigan2001@attbi.com for   
any and all feedback. Please, PLEASE SEND   
FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND!!! Thank you! ^-^  
  
Author's notes: I've been attempting to   
figure out how to keep the action that I've   
been starting up in Chapter 3. I hope that I   
have succeeded. ^_^ Also, a small quote for the   
intellectual...  
  
"Always do the right thing - this will gratify   
some and astonish the rest."   
- Mark Twain (1835-1910)   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Tenchi Muyo: The Web of Life  
Chapter 4: Insights and Promises (Rev.5.0)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Now, this looks familiar..." Ashe   
choked out, his breathing becoming more labored   
as he analyzed the current situation. Ryoko   
never moved or blinked from her current   
position, her nose about three inches from   
Ashe's nose.  
  
"What in the galaxy are you talking   
about, Ryoko? Explain what about myself?" Ashe   
spoke, though the words sounded more akin to a   
hoarse whisper rather than a question. Ryoko   
bunched up her nose in anger, and pushed   
herself back to arm's length, never letting up   
on the pressure put on Ashe's chest. The   
pirate summoned up an energy dagger and eyed it   
carefully, then brought a pair of slotted eyes   
back onto Ashe.  
  
"Six seconds." Ryoko stated, remaining as   
unmoving as a statue. Everyone in the room   
went wide-eyed in surprise, although Ayeka gave   
the pirate a look of patient annoyance.  
  
"Please stop this, Ryoko! He was with us   
in the living room the entire time, and he   
wasn't doing anything! Why are you even doing   
something like this?" Mihoshi pleaded, her   
eyes red from almost crying about the incident   
with Sasami earlier in the day.  
  
"I just get done fighting some woman that   
nearly kills Tenchi, knocks Ayeka out cold, and   
Pork Chop here walks in after all of that   
like it's a Sunday stroll. What do YOU think?"   
Ryoko spat, not one portion of her body moving   
from where she stood. Ayeka shook her head   
slowly, and took a step toward Ryoko from her   
position at Tenchi's side.  
  
"While I do understand the idea that   
you are entertaining, I cannot allow you   
to outright kill someone without solid proof,   
Ryoko. He WAS in the living room along with   
Washu, Mihoshi and Sasami when I arrived,   
Ryoko. He does have a solid alibi, and if he   
is responsible for what happened today," Ayeka   
said to Ryoko, and railed the wanderer with a   
flash-frozen stare, "Then we shall deal with it   
accordingly; but ONLY when it has been proven   
that he is at fault." Ayeka spoke quietly.  
  
Ryoko gave the princess a sidelong glance   
for several seconds, and then planted her gaze   
back on the wanderer. Ashe's face had begun to   
turn a reddish purple, due to being unable to   
draw breath since Ryoko had pinned him to the   
wall. Reluctantly, the pirate released the   
wanderer's body from her grasp, as the whole   
family watched Ashe gasp for a full breath for   
the first time in several minutes. He looked   
at Ayeka and Ryoko for a second, and smiled   
faintly.  
  
"Goodnight." Ashe blurted aloud, and   
promptly passed out, almost as an afterthought.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Later on in the evening, Nobuyuki Masaki   
finally arrived at home; his seat at the table   
was set and prepared for him, and the family   
waited for his arrival to begin eating. After   
taking off his tan business coat and seating   
himself down to eat, he began listening to the   
various things that have happened while he was   
gone at work that day. His happy and calm   
demeanor transformed, however, when he had the   
events that had taken place at the cave   
revealed to him.  
  
"And you say that this thing wasn't   
intending on killing Tenchi, Washu?" Nobuyuki   
exclaimed, a look of anger and surprise   
anchored to his face. The girl scientist   
nodded in the affirmative, and finished chewing   
her bite of sushi. She had changed out of her   
scientist's smock, and put on a more relaxed   
set of clothes. Sitting across from the   
scientist was Tenchi; having woken up several   
hours earlier with a nice-sized headache, he   
had changed into his normal set of clothes.   
Ryoko and Ayeka had changed into their usual   
set of evening clothes to get out of the   
dirtied ones that they wore earlier in the day   
as well. Ryoko huffed at the scientist's   
words, and gave her a cynical eye before   
turning her attention back toward Tenchi; the   
young Masaki had a head bandage placed on his   
forehead, and he was getting loads of attention   
from both Ayeka and Ryoko, though most of the   
time the two were arguing over what the other   
girl should be doing to help Tenchi rather than   
actually helping him out. Mihoshi was talking   
with Sasami about what they were going to watch   
on television after dinner was finished, and   
Katsuhito was quietly eating his meal without   
contributing to the conversations that rounded   
the table; meanwhile, Washu was finishing up   
some of the research she had started earlier in   
the day through the use of her holo pad.  
  
"Yup; though my hypothesis is rather   
speculative, here's what I think is the story.   
After checking Tenchi out for damages, it SEEMS   
that all she had wanted to do was simply get a   
response out of the poor boy in terms of   
fighting capabilities. When Ryoko dropped in,   
so to speak," Washu remarked, never taking her   
eyes of the holo-pad that floated in front of   
her, "she was forced to change her tactics on   
whom she would be getting information about.   
So, whatever is behind all of this knows about   
the majority of Ryoko's and Ayeka's strengths   
and weaknesses, but not Tenchi's."  
  
"Uh, Washu, um, you think maybe that   
girl, or someone who sent her, knows about   
Tenchi's powers?" Mihoshi asked. The other   
girls stopped their chatter and looked at the   
scientist. Washu tapped a finger to her chin,   
and looked at Mihoshi.  
  
"It's quite possible. However, I can't   
say 'yes' or 'no' with any kind of certainty.   
Though it would explain why Tenchi was the main   
reason for the attack; unfortunately, I don't   
know if it was his ability to use the Jurai   
Power, the Light Hawk Wings, or both that was   
in question. Still, nonetheless, it seems that   
whatever the reasons are going to be," Washu   
stated, and stuffed another piece of sushi into   
her mouth, "we're on the brink of something big   
and it looks like we're going to be involved."   
Nobuyuki took a glance around the table, and   
scanned the living room. As the family   
continued to eat, Nobuyuki scratched his head   
for a moment.  
  
"Uh, where's Ashe?" The elder Masaki   
asked. Sasami's smiles had disappeared, and   
the young princess began to pout. Ryoko and   
Ayeka both gave the younger princess a half-  
worried, half-sorry gaze as they waited for her   
to speak to Nobuyuki.  
  
"Ryoko and Ayeka thought he might be   
responsible for that girl showing up and   
hurting Tenchi. Ashe didn't want to start a   
fight, so he went outside on the dock; he's   
been there all afternoon." Sasami said,   
sticking her tongue out at both Ryoko and Ayeka   
after she finished explaining. The elder   
Masaki looked at Tenchi for his reaction to the   
statement. The boy quickly finished chewing   
the bite of food still in his mouth and looked   
earnestly at his father.  
  
"I told him that he could stay in the   
house if he wanted, but Ashe said that he   
didn't want to cause any more problems with the   
family than what was already here. He decided   
that he'd simply sleep outside on the patio,   
using the hammock that Washu gave him." Tenchi   
explained, pointing out past the window toward   
the hammock that was hung at the far corner of   
the patio. Ashe sat in the hammock, happily   
eating away at some of the sushi that Sasami   
provided him earlier before the elder Masaki   
had arrived home. As the family finished their   
meal, Nobuyuki smiled at Sasami and nodded to   
the rest of the family.  
  
"As always, Sasami, you've made an   
excellent meal. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm   
going to talk with Ashe." The elder Masaki   
stated, and briskly made his way toward the   
door out toward the patio and Ashe. Ashe   
remained in the hammock, looking out from under   
the patio toward the stars above the Masaki   
home. As the elder Masaki approached, the   
wanderer pulled his gaze away from the starlit   
skies, and brought his attention to the man   
before him.  
  
"Oh hello, Mr. Masaki; I didn't see you   
standing there. I apologize for whatever   
problems I must've caused by being here." He   
glanced into the house, to see the girls either   
staring or pointing out the window in   
Nobuyuki's direction. The wanderer sighed, and   
looked back toward Nobuyuki; the elder Masaki   
furrowed his brow and leaned against his house   
on one shoulder, and looked out toward the lake   
that lapped its minute waves against the pier   
to his home. Giving himself a moment, Nobuyuki   
gave the wanderer a sidelong glance; Ashe   
looked at the elder Masaki with worrisome eyes.  
  
"You look as if you think I'm about to   
kill you." Nobuyuki remarked coolly, raising an   
eyebrow at the wanderer. Ashe gulped audibly,   
and shuffled in his hammock.  
  
"I really am sorry for what happened   
today. If you want to have me fix the house   
up, I can understand. I'll have to ask Priest   
Katsuhito to give me some supplies, but I'll do   
it." Ashe said quietly.  
  
"Don't worry about the house; cracked   
walls and beams are a welcome sight, compared   
to some of the things that have happened to   
this place. Besides, Washu already mended the   
wall and repaired any unseen damage that   
might've been there; one of the benefits of   
having a genius around the house." Nobuyuki   
remarked, chuckling at the comment. Ashe   
nodded in agreement, though his eyes weren't   
poised on the elder Masaki; they were instead   
focused on the shimmering point of light that   
drifted in a direct and downward descent from   
the night sky. The sliver of light began to   
get larger, and its form more defined, as it   
came closer to the horizon. Nobuyuki cocked   
his head to one side, and followed the   
wanderer's gaze out over the lake as the object   
became more visible.  
  
"Ayeka got another message from home. I   
wonder what it's about." Nobuyuki remarked, as   
the two men watch the drone slow its course   
toward the household. Its faceplate resembled   
the outer shell of Ayeka's guardians, Azaka and   
Kamidake, though the sensor eyepiece and   
wording on it denoted its purpose as messenger.   
The lower portion and back of the unit had   
hundreds of different vines and planks of   
various sizes and colors protruding from   
beneath the faceplate; those were providing the   
drone with sensor ability, maneuverability, and   
self-defense. As the drone floated patiently   
at the edge of the dock, Ayeka and the rest of   
the family slowly emerged from the house and   
approached the floating unit. The princess   
knelt down on both knees in front of the drone,   
and brushed aside several locks of her purple   
hair. The headband that nestled itself on   
Ayeka's head began to pulse with a fierce blue,   
to which the eyepiece on the messenger unit   
pulsed in response. The faceplate opened   
itself up, to reveal a rather small wooden   
plate with intricate and ancient symbols   
encircling the outer edge of the plate. As the   
elder princess's headband continued to pulse,   
the symbols began to emit a deep blue in a   
rhythmic response, giving the impression of a   
heartbeat given light. It wasn't long before a   
blue-tinted image of a middle-aged man stood on   
the plate; his deep violet hair and beard   
neatly combed and tied down. His robes and   
style of dress easily identified the man as the   
Emperor of Jurai, and as the man began to   
speak, everyone began to crowd around the elder   
princess.  
  
"Ayeka, Sasami; my daughters, I have sent   
this messenger drone to bring news that you   
will find most joyous. As Emperor Azusa the   
First, I am pleased to announce that the tree   
ship Gen-Sao will be bonded to a new pilot.   
This auspicious event will be taking place at   
the end of this galactic week." The image said,   
as Ayeka leaned closer to watch the recorded   
message play out. She cast a sidelong glance   
at Ryoko as the pirate attempted to smuggle   
herself closer to the messenger drone, and the   
displayed image of Ayeka's father as it   
continued to talk.  
  
"Ryoko, would you mind? This is a very   
important, and very PRIVATE, message. I would   
like to view this without interruption, if you   
please?" Ayeka mouthed toward her rival, as   
Ryoko sat back on her heels. The pirate rolled   
her eyes towards Ayeka as the princess grumbled   
something about lack of privacy.  
  
"Yeah, whatever; it's not like I have   
been talking over it, you know." Ryoko   
muttered, when both she and Ayeka were pushed   
aside as a widely grinning Sasami squeezed in   
between the two girls to listen in on more of   
the message. All of the girls quieted down to   
listen in as the image continued to play itself   
out.  
  
"As tradition has always stated, all   
members of the royal family are to be present   
at the time of a tree ship bonding, so this   
messenger drone will remain behind to assist   
you all in preparations to come to Jurai." The   
two princesses of Jurai gasped audibly, and   
began to chatter noisily about what they were   
going to do when they got back home. Tenchi,   
who had stood behind both Ayeka and Sasami,   
scratched his head and gazed at the drone in   
wonder. Mihoshi stood up quickly and threw on   
a wide grin over her face.  
  
"You're going on a field trip! This is   
going to be great!" She exclaimed, and started   
to jump in place while clutching her hands   
against her face. Suddenly the space officer   
stopped jumping around and thought heavily for   
a moment. "Oh yeah, um, Ayeka? Is it okay   
that I go along, too? I've never been to a   
Jurai celebration and I'd love to go to one."   
  
"Well, the message has not specified that   
guests were unwelcome, so I don't see why not."   
Ayeka said, Washu, who had been drinking in   
every word of the message that was being played   
out, took a free moment to give a raised   
eyebrow to the space officer. That didn't last   
long however, when a familiar female voice hued   
with a twinge of replication made its face   
known. All eyes turned toward the messenger   
drone, as a feminine figure stood in front of   
Azusa. Her bright blue hair was pulled back   
into a large, well decorated pony tail that   
traveled down to the small of her back; her   
outfit was likewise decorated using several   
different shades of purples and blues. Ayeka   
took a moment to look back at the messenger   
drone, and let out a deep and painful sounding   
sigh.  
  
"Mother," the elder princess breathed.  
  
"Sasami-chan! Ayeka-chan! I'm looking   
forward to seeing you and all of your friends   
at the ceremony, and I'll have your best   
dresses ready and waiting for you in your old   
rooms. It'll be so great to have you back home   
for a little while. I miss you both so much!"   
Ayeka's right eye twitched as she continued   
watching her mother keep her father at bay, as   
though he seemed to be struggling to get to the   
recorder of the message. Another figure   
stepped into the sight of the group that had   
gathered to watch the message play out; her   
hair had the look of silk, and her deep blue   
and purple robes more than simply marked her as   
one of Azusa's wives; her elegance poured out   
around her as she stood in the display plate,   
and even the crickets around the Masaki home   
seemed to quiet down as she began to speak.   
Katsuhito perked his ears as the beautiful   
woman began to speak.  
  
"This part of the message is for Tenchi,   
Yosho, and Nobuyuki. As you are all related,   
through blood or marriage, to the royal family   
of Jurai we would be honored to have you stand   
with us as the ceremony takes place. And   
Yosho," she said quietly, and Katsuhito locked   
his gaze on the image of his mother, "if you do   
not come, I will take steps to ensure that you   
arrive for the ceremony. Understood?"   
Katsuhito took an audible gulp of air, and   
twisted the ball of one of his feet into the   
pier on which he stood. Washu cackled at the   
whole scene and beamed a toothy grin at the   
priest as the group witnessed the image of the   
two women and Azusa fade away into nothingness.  
  
"There's nothing like getting dragged to   
a party, eh, Katsuhito? Hahahahahahaha!" Washu   
cackled again as the Shinto priest eyed the   
child scientist from the corner of his eye.  
  
"You understand, of course, if I don't   
find the humor in that statement." Katsuhito   
muttered aloud, which kept Washu from cackling   
any further.  
  
"Oh, nyaa to you, too. It's only fair,   
considering the comment I remember a certain   
priest made concerning a mop and bucket?"   
Washu said, making sour faces at Katsuhito as   
they parted aside to let the rest of the family   
walk down the pier back toward the house.   
Katsuhito brightened his face for a brief   
moment with a faint half smile, and looked back   
at the messenger drone.  
  
"In that respect, then, I guess we're   
even. Nonetheless, I must prepare for my   
departure; if you all will excuse me."   
Katsuhito spoke, and bowed briefly. Washu   
returned the bow, and watched the priest amble   
his way back toward the steps up toward his   
shrine. Tenchi stopped at the door to the   
house and looked at Ashe and his own father;   
the two hadn't moved anywhere closer to the   
rest of the family as the drone displayed the   
message. Nobuyuki gave the young Masaki a   
questioning look.  
  
"So, what was this message about,   
Tenchi?" Nobuyuki inquired, to which his son   
half smiled in return.  
  
"We're going to visit Jurai, dad. We're   
leaving as soon as we can, and you've been   
invited as well. You think you can get out of   
work for a 'family emergency'?" Tenchi asked.   
His father put a stern face on for several   
seconds, and then smiled his usual goofy smile.  
  
"I got a good week's worth of vacation   
coming to me, so why not? Besides, I bet Jurai   
has some beautiful women that are dying to have   
a healthy, good-looking man pay loads of   
attention to them." Tenchi rolled his eyes at   
his father, and quickly walked inside, moaning   
something about hoping that hentai tendencies   
weren't genetic. Nobuyuki chuckled to himself,   
and turned back to Ashe.  
  
"Well, wanderer, it seems that we're   
going some place far away. Anything I should   
be afraid of while I'm on Jurai?" The elder   
Masaki asked, and the wanderer looked out over   
the lake.   
  
"Just one thing to mention, Mr. Masaki."   
The wanderer spoke matter-of-factly.  
  
"Oh, and what's that?"  
  
"Never tell a Juraian woman that you want   
to test the acidity of their tree pot with your   
moss stick; and if you wonder what will   
happen," Ashe spoke, shuddering as if   
remembering something that wasn't too pleasing.  
  
"Let me guess; you get thrown from a tree   
ship." Nobuyuki blurted out; Ashe gave the   
elder Masaki a surprised look.  
  
"You wish! That's the best thing that   
can happen!" Huge sweat drops began to appear   
on Nobuyuki's forehead, and the elder Masaki   
began back stepping toward the entrance to the   
household.  
  
"Uhhh... Well, thanks for the warning,   
Ashe. I'll keep that in mind while I'm there."   
With that, the next-to-final member of the   
Masaki clan entered the house for the evening.   
As Ashe situated himself on the hammock, and   
closed his eyes to prepare for yet another   
night's worth of sleep, Washu stopped her   
approach to the household entrance to look at   
the wanderer.  
  
"Why did you choose to come outside,   
Ashe? It's going to be very chilly tonight,   
and I'm sure that I can..." Ashe opened one of   
his eyes to look at the child scientist.  
  
"Don't," Ashe muttered; Washu looked at   
the wanderer, a sincere look of wonder gracing   
her visage.  
  
"And why not? I don't know anybody who   
deserves to sleep outside in the cold air.   
Well, excluding two certain individual men that   
are thankfully not anywhere nears this planet,   
at any rate."  
  
"I'm thankful that I even have a place to   
lie down and sleep for a night, let alone a   
place that hasn't lusted for my blood outright   
as soon as I land there. I'll take what I can   
get,' Ashe whispered, and paused for a second,   
'considering that I'm not a true guest of this   
house as you are. And I'm not going to risk   
your welcome to extend my own." With that,   
Ashe closed his open eye to go to sleep. Washu   
looked at the wanderer with a puzzled look, and   
smiled faintly. She opened the door, and stood   
halfway in the door for several minutes,   
staring at the wanderer the entire time.  
  
"Sleep well, Ashe, and pleasant dreams."   
The child scientist whispered, and closed the   
door to the Masaki household. Several minutes   
passed with blissful silence, which was broken   
by Ashe's half conscious ramblings about peach   
cobbler and tree leaf pudding.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mornings at the Masaki household usually   
aren't very interesting. Of course, this only   
applies toward the people who actually live   
there. For a person ill-equipped to deal with   
the hustle, bustle, and occasional brawl that   
occurs there, it would seem more like a TV talk   
show gone horribly wrong. And unfortunately   
for Ashe, not only is he ill-equipped, he's   
also the target of many a practical joke; this   
particular morning was no exception. Ashe was   
'volunteered' to valet the family's luggage,   
and most of the day was spent loading cargo   
into the Ryu-Oh for transporting to Jurai   
under the everlasting and critical gaze of   
Ryoko and Ayeka. However the space pirate   
wasn't paying attention to the wanderer at one   
point and, from where Ryoko stood, for good   
reason.  
  
"Ayeka, I'd like to ask you just one   
simple question." Ryoko stated as she looked   
out over the cargo area. The newly finished   
Ryu-Oh had already been sent through several   
test runs around the solar system and was   
finally ready for the big flight. Ayeka strode   
up to Ryoko's side and looked out over the   
cargo area in which they stood.  
  
"And what question would that be, Ryoko?"   
Ayeka asked, furrowing her brow in mild   
confusion. The pirate threw her hands out to   
emphasize on the abnormally large pyramid of   
luggage that was stacked in the middle of the   
cargo area.  
  
"Do you want to pack up the rest of the   
house, or can we leave now?" Ryoko blurted   
out, eyeing the princess with teeth-grinding   
annoyance. Without even glancing back at   
Ryoko, the elder princess walked up to the   
stack of luggage and began to quietly inspect   
various boxes and briefcases. Stopping at one   
particular box, she rapped on the side of the   
box firmly. The results were immediate; the   
whole pyramid tumbled down in no dramatic   
fashion. After the dust and debris settled the   
two young ladies saw, at the opposite end of   
the cargo area, Ashe staring at the pile with   
the most desperate of gazes, his arms and hands   
overflowing with luggage. Ayeka brought   
herself upright, and tilted her head toward the   
wanderer as he walked toward the now decimated   
pile of luggage.  
  
"Oh my, it seems that the luggage wasn't   
stable enough to remain upright. I do hope   
that you will be able to keep an accident like   
this from happening in the future, if you would   
be so kind." Ayeka spoke, though never making   
any eye contact with Ashe. The wanderer gave   
out a heavy sigh, and began to redo the luggage   
as best he could. The elder princess made her   
way through an archway that would lead her   
toward the bridge portion of the Ryu-Oh, with   
Ryoko hot on her heels. As they stepped   
through the archway, the pirate gave Ayeka a   
raised eyebrow.  
  
"For a second, I thought you didn't have   
it in you." Ryoko whispered to the elder   
princess, and Ayeka closed her eyes as they   
exited the cargo area.  
  
"It may be true that he did not deserve   
it," the elder princess spoke, and an almost   
nonexistent smile crossed her lips, "But it was   
therapeutic, I'll say that much." Ryoko's   
laughter could be heard echoing through the   
cargo area as the two left, leaving the rather   
distraught wanderer to deal with the now   
devastated pile of luggage.   
  
"You know, I'm beginning to think that   
those two just want me gone." Ashe thought   
aloud, and then stopped for a moment to rethink   
what he had just said. "Wait, scratch that;   
they want me disemboweled and cremated."   
Wiping the sweat off of his brow, the wanderer   
was half finished with restacking the pile of   
luggage when a familiar blond haired girl   
ambled her way into the cargo area. Realizing   
who had come in, Ashe waved briefly at Mihoshi   
as she walked up to the half-finished pile of   
luggage.  
  
"Hello, Mihoshi. Did you need something   
from in the cargo area," the wanderer asked,   
and gave the space officer a half-eyed stare,   
"Or did Ryoko and Ayeka send you?" Mihoshi   
scratched her head and looked at the pile of   
luggage, then at Ashe.  
  
"Oh, hello, Ashe; I'm just looking for   
something is all. Now where did I put it?"   
Mihoshi wondered aloud, and began to paw at the   
various boxes and briefcases that were in the   
half finished stack of luggage that the   
wanderer had done so far.   
  
"Was it in here? Or was it in there? I   
thought I put it in here…" Mihoshi mused as she   
kept opening and tearing into the various boxes   
she brought onboard. Ashe made several sounds   
of protest which, unfortunately for the   
wanderer, went completely unheard as Mihoshi   
searched for her missing object. Ashe covered   
his eyes with his hands at one point when a   
purple satin bra floated through his line of   
sight. After several more minutes of   
searching, an excited and happy gasp of breath   
prompted Ashe to uncover his eyes; the wanderer   
fought to contain an unbridled scream of pure   
horror as he bore witness to a Mihoshi   
encounter. Mihoshi clutched the fused checkers   
pieces that she had been scouring for, when the   
space officer had become aware of the situation   
she had created; the majority of the cargo area   
was now littered with Mihoshi's clothes and   
personal effects, and several of her   
undergarments lay in a small pile in front of   
Ashe, who tried his best to keep from spouting   
a serious nosebleed.  
  
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry about this   
mess, Ashe! Here, let me clean this up for   
you." Mihoshi blurted out and, grabbing one of   
the empty boxes in one hand and a pile of   
clothes in another, promptly fell into the   
remaining stack of relatively untouched cargo.   
Ashe plopped down on the floor of the cargo   
area and put his head into his hands as he   
watched the space officer, however flippantly   
and haphazardly, repacked all of her things   
into her boxes and restacked the pile of cargo.   
Mihoshi waved to the wanderer as she left the   
cargo area, coveted object in tow and boxes   
stacked in a random, half-thought about order.  
  
"I'm really sorry about the mess, but I   
hope that you'll be on the bridge for dinner   
time tonight! See you there!" The officer   
beamed, and disappeared from sight. Ashe, who   
had been awestruck by the entire scene that had   
played out before him, slowly brought himself   
upright and shook his head in utter disbelief.  
  
"Just when life becomes something   
tolerable, I come across a girl that wants me   
dead, another who makes my life difficult   
intentionally, and now I find one that makes it   
difficult completely by accident! Is it   
possible that my life can get any worse?" Ashe   
mused to himself, and turned to exit the cargo   
area; by the time he picked himself up off of   
the ground, Ashe realized that he had ran   
straight into a metallic sphere the size of a   
compact car. Washu sat atop the sphere and   
stopped typing in some information to give a   
broad smile to the wanderer as he stood up.  
  
"Hello, Ashe! You've just been enlisted   
to assist me with a couple of things! How does   
that sound?" Washu exclaimed, never taking her   
eyes off of the wanderer. Ashe gave the child   
scientist a level eyed stare, and brushed   
himself off.  
  
"Does it have anything to do with   
luggage?" Ashe breathed, and started to walk   
around the rather large orb as it hovered in   
place. A tentacle shot out of the orb in front   
of the wanderer, effectively barring his way   
out, and Washu gave another toothy smile.  
  
"Nope, more like a test of reflexes." She   
chirped, and Ashe gave her an almost desperate   
gaze.  
  
"Oh, hell," was the last thing that Ashe   
said before eight more tentacles sprouted out   
from the orb and shot out at the wanderer.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Deep in space, the Ryu-Oh made its way   
through the ether, back toward its home world.   
On board, the clan of people that had been   
invited to a very special occasion was asleep;   
however, there was heard a sound that was very   
much unlike the usual sounds that one would   
hear on a tree ship such as this. It was these   
odd sounds that had awoken the space pirate   
Ryoko out of a sound sleep. If anybody knew   
the pirate, they knew that waking Ryoko was not   
something one did intentionally.  
  
Ryoko sat up straight out of her bed, her   
ears twitching, as if listening for a far away   
sound. Her eyebrows closed in on her nose as   
she homed in on the source of the noise. She   
bunched up her lips as she thought of who could   
be awake at this time of night. She climbed   
out of her bed and, after putting on an   
oversized long sleeved t-shirt and jeans,   
teleported to the bedsides of the various   
people onboard the ship. Tenchi and his father   
were fast asleep in his sleeping quarters, as   
were Katsuhito and Mihoshi in their respective   
quarters. Ashe was mumbling something about   
peach cobbler in the cargo area, and Washu was   
nowhere to be found onboard the ship as usual.   
Ryoko stopped for a moment, and listened more   
intently. Her ears perked up as she realized   
the location of the noise.  
  
"Strange. Who would be on the bridge   
right now?" Ryoko thought aloud, and   
teleported herself onto the bridge of the Ryu-  
Oh. Moving stealthily around the more heavily   
shaded areas of the bridge, Ryoko slatted her   
eyes as realization hit her as to who was   
making the noise that was heard. Sitting   
directly in front of the space tree that   
piloted the Ryu-Oh, and sobbing in a way that   
almost couldn't be heard, was Sasami. She was   
still in her carrot pajamas, and her eyes were   
red from crying. As Ryoko watched, her   
expression softened and her lower lip twitched   
from sympathy.  
  
"Psst." Ryoko whispered, and Sasami   
whirled around from her spot to see spiky cyan   
hair and a pair of golden-yellow eyes peek out   
from behind the space tree that she sat under.   
"Mind if I drop in?" Sasami rubbed her eyes as   
she tried to make out who it was.  
  
"R-Ryoko?" Sasami whispered back, and   
blinked twice. The former pirate pulled   
herself out from behind the tree slowly, and   
walked up to Sasami.  
  
"Yup, it's me. What're you doing out   
here right now? You should be asleep, since   
tomorrow is going to be the big day for you and   
your sister, what with the coming back home for   
that celebration and all." Ryoko remarked   
casually, trying to hide the concern that   
poured out of her words. Sasami turned and   
looked back out over the main portion of the   
bridge, then back at Ryoko as the pirate sat   
down cross-legged beside the younger princess.  
  
"I know. But I had some bad dreams, and   
I didn't want to wake up Ayeka and.. and..   
well.." Sasami said, her eyes seeming to well   
up with tears for yet another round of crying.   
Ryoko sat there for a minute, looking at the   
ground in deep thought while the princess cried   
aloud. This time, however, the younger   
princess didn't cry for long; feeling a firm   
grip on her shoulder, Sasami turned to see   
Ryoko holding her fast.  
  
"I got a secret for you, but you got to   
promise not to tell anybody about it. Not even   
your sister, ESPECIALLY your sister, okay?"   
Ryoko whispered to Sasami. The younger   
princess cocked her head to listen to Ryoko,   
her bad dreams taking a back burner to hearing   
a secret from Ryoko.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I get bad dreams too, and sometimes when   
nobody's awake to hear it, I go out on the pier   
and cry." Sasami's eyes shot open wide at the   
concept of Ryoko crying about something other   
than Tenchi. Ryoko saw the response she got   
out of Sasami, and nodded her head to confirm   
it.  
  
"Usually it's about the stuff I did   
before I met Tenchi and all of the rest of you.   
It was bad." Ryoko whispered and shuddered so   
faintly that one would have to have been   
holding her, or been held by her, to feel it.   
"It was really bad. But do you know what keeps   
me from crying for hours and hours now?"   
Sasami shook her head no to answer Ryoko's   
question.  
  
"It's the fact that I have a family now.   
And that if I try hard enough, if I can keep my   
family safe from bad things and bad people,   
then all of the bad things that I had to go   
through aren't so bad after all. Does that   
make any sense?" Ryoko said quietly, her   
question seemingly being posed to herself more   
than anybody. Sasami looked at Ryoko, and gave   
the pirate a faint smile.  
  
"Yup." Sasami whispered back, and gave   
the former pirate a bear hug in response.   
Ryoko nearly jumped back, surprised by the   
whole scene that had played out in front of   
her. The younger princess gave her one quick,   
final hug and scrambled up to go back into her   
room. Stopping at one spot at the opposite end   
of the bridge, Sasami waved at Ryoko.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay, Ryoko?"   
Sasami said, waving at the pirate from her spot   
on the bridge. Ryoko gave Sasami a huge   
thumbs-up signal, and smiled at the younger   
princess as she made her way back to her   
bedroom. Putting herself into a kneeling   
position, Ryoko stared out over the bridge, and   
past the view port that was open, into the   
darker depths of space and beyond. Ryoko   
sighed, a mixture of relief and worry oozing   
through, and closed her eyes while a single   
tear slipped past her defenses as she sat.  
  
End of Chapter 4  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	5. Chapter 5: Coming to Jurai

Tenchi Muyo is the property of Pioneer and AIC.   
I've no intention of using this to garner profits of any   
kind or type, so unless you like to take a poor man's   
computer away from him, please don't sue me!? Please?  
  
All other characters, depictions, places, and   
theories that have been put into place are my own creation   
and have no relevance to Tenchi Muyo in any way except in   
the ways I've explained. These are my own thoughts and   
imagination, and any relation to other stories that are not   
my own are accidental. Honest.   
  
My e-mail is kai_kerrigan@attbi.com for any and all   
feedback. Please, PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND!!!   
Thank you! ^-^  
  
Author's notes: This is the longest that I've been   
able to keep on a storyline in my entire writing career. I   
hope I can hold steam! By the way, thank you everybody who   
does like my story and I appreciate all the feedback you   
give! And if you haven't sent in any, send it in, dang it!  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Tenchi Muyo: The Web of Life  
Chapter 5: Welcome to Jurai! (rev 3.0)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Tenchi awoke as he normally would; scared that he   
might find a space pirate floating within inches of his   
face. Slipping out from underneath the blankets that he   
slept under, the young Masaki made what seemed like the   
perfect escape from his room. However, Tenchi never   
stopped long enough to realize that Ryoko wasn't hovering   
above his bed this particular morning. Slinking down the   
steps toward the dining area of the house, Tenchi saw   
through the living room windows to witness the trees   
beginning to bud with new leaves and the neighbor's flower   
garden blooming in their entire splendor. As he finished   
his silent descent, the young Masaki attempted to see where   
everybody would be at; Sasami and Mihoshi were watching   
television, Ayeka, Ryoko, and Washu were sitting at the   
table waiting for breakfast to be finished.   
  
"Good morning, everybody! What's on the menu for   
this morning, Sasami?" Tenchi asked, looking rather   
confused that Sasami was in the living room watching   
television instead of making breakfast as she normally did.   
The younger princess looked at Tenchi as he walked up to   
the couch and smiled.  
  
"Oh, Achika said she'd make breakfast this morning!   
She's in the kitchen!" Sasami said, smiling her usual   
chipper smile, and went back to watching the television.   
Tenchi stared at the little princess, incredulous.  
  
"Very funny, Sasami. I'll go see what you're   
cooking." Tenchi casually remarked, and waved to the three   
girls at the breakfast table. Ryoko and Ayeka had pouting   
faces, while Washu was currently working on something with   
her holo pad.  
  
"You three are acting odd this morning; what gives?"   
Tenchi asked, slowing down his stride as he passed by the   
space pirate. Ryoko tilted her head back to look at the   
young Masaki and smiled.  
  
"Hiya, Teeenchiii. We're just waiting for breakfast   
is all. Well, that and..." Ryoko trailed off, realizing   
that Ayeka was giving her a glower the likes of which she   
had not seen in a very long time.  
  
"And?" Ayeka took her gaze off of Ryoko, and gave   
Tenchi a beaming smile.  
  
"It's alright, Lord Tenchi. We were asked to wait   
in here while you went into the kitchen. It was very   
important, we were told." Ayeka explained. Tenchi   
scratched his head in slight confusion; Washu looked up   
from her holo-pad and smiled at Tenchi.  
  
"Don't worry, they won't bother you. I've been   
assigned as guard; they can't get past me!" Washu said,   
and cackled such a loud cackle that every person in the   
room winced visibly in response.  
  
"Yeah well, thanks, Washu. I really don't think I   
have to worry about being alone in..." Tenchi trailed off,   
complete shock flash-freezing the young Masaki right in the   
doorway as he attempted to walk through it.   
  
Staring back at him with a smile that could stop a   
raging bull was the perfect visage of his mother; her black   
hair pulled back into a pony tail that hung to the small of   
her back, and the sky blue and light purple kimono she wore   
on special days looked the prettiest Tenchi had ever seen   
it. Kissing his wife tenderly on the cheek, Nobuyuki   
grabbed his newspaper and coffee and headed into the   
kitchen. As soon as the elder Masaki closed the door to   
the kitchen, Achika turned and smiled back at Tenchi. As   
Achika witnessed the look of complete confusion on her   
son's face, she chuckled softly.  
  
"You always look that way when you think too much.   
You did it when you were younger, and I'm contented to see   
that hasn't changed.' She spoke, tilting her head as Tenchi   
opened his mouth to say something, yet stopped himself.   
Tenchi's face went through some major contortions,   
completely in awe and fear of what was happening to him.  
  
"This isn't real. This just isn't real; it can't be   
real at all!" Tenchi whispered, eyes locked on his mother,   
as his body seemed to rebel against the insane desire to   
run screaming out of the kitchen. His knees began to   
tremble and falter of their own accord, and he began to   
fall. Achika scrambled from the place she stood to catch   
her son from behind, and gently lowered the young Masaki   
down to a kneeling position. Tenchi shook his head several   
times as he sat on the kitchen floor, trying to shake out   
of his head the concept that his mother was in the same   
room with him and alive to boot.  
  
"Are you alright, Tenchi?" Achika whispered   
quietly, placing her hands on Tenchi's shoulders. Tenchi   
jumped in place, though he didn't move far, and began to   
turn his head to see if the person behind him was actually   
his mother. Sure enough, Achika smiled warmly back at her   
son.  
  
"What is going on here? You're not here, you're...   
you're not here! I know you're not! This kind of thing   
isn't funny at all! Why am I here?" Tenchi blurted out,   
trying his best attempt to stand; however his body still   
seemed adamant about resisting his desire to move or leave   
this place.  
  
"It's because there's something that needs to be   
said. You need to hear this, and there is a force in the   
universe that thinks you should, too." Achika spoke, her   
voice as calming as the sunsets that Tenchi witnessed from   
his family shrine during the summer months he and his   
family spent there.  
  
"What could I possibly need to hear, that would make   
me dream of something that I can't have? It's like asking   
me to take a stroll through hell!" Tenchi nearly yelled,   
never looking at his mother as he spoke. Achika tightened   
her grip on Tenchi's shoulders as he spoke, her sadness and   
fear echoed in the hold.  
  
"It's because you haven't let go. That you will   
need to let go when the time comes or many people,   
including Ryoko and Ayeka and all of the others, will be   
lost to you." Achika spoke, the words coming out in a half-  
whispered tone.  
  
"What do you mean, Mom? This doesn't make any   
sense! Let go of what?" Tenchi questioned, utter   
confusion burning through his eyes and his words. Achika   
opened her eyes and stood up slowly, smoothing out her   
kimono as she did so. She walked around slowly to face her   
son, and held out a hand to Tenchi. The young Masaki took   
her hand, and stood up slowly, still in awe as to what this   
was supposed to entail. As Tenchi drew himself up to his   
full height, his mother cupped her son's face in her hands,   
and kissed his forehead in unrequited and unconditional   
love. Three triangular shapes appeared where Achika kissed   
Tenchi, and shone brightly with a sky blue, then faded in   
as a more pronounced and darker azure.  
  
"My sweet little miracle; I wish I could tell you so   
much more, but I cannot. All I can tell you,' Achika said   
quietly, a single tear streaming down her face as she   
rubbed her son's cheek with one of her thumbs, 'Is that I   
am proud of you, and what you have accomplished. You are   
everything that I hoped that you would become, that you've   
earned everything that you have, and so much more. You   
deserve all of the happiness that God can ever give you,   
and let NO ONE try to take that away."  
  
Tenchi walked into the arms of his mother, and gave   
her what felt like the first true hug he had ever given her   
since she had passed away from his life. Tenchi closed his   
eyes tightly, and several tears slipped out from his   
eyelids as he held his mother for what seemed like an   
eternity.   
  
"Thank you, Mom." Tenchi whispered. Opening his   
eyes Tenchi saw not the dining area of the Masaki home, but   
the sleeping quarters on board the Ryu-Oh, and did not see   
the loving face of his mother but rather the large pillow   
that he slept with the night before. He sighed heavily and   
put the pillow back underneath his head and lay in the bed,   
looking skyward, as he thought about the meaning behind the   
dreams.  
  
************************************  
  
Silence permeated the meditation chamber; eerie,   
powerful silence. Five translucent blue feather-shaped   
objects hovered in tightly spaced intervals and provided   
the only light in the whole room. It gave barely enough   
illumination to the white haired young man hovering several   
feet in the air, cross legged, in the center of the   
ethereal display. Circling in a slow and measured pace,   
the objects pulsed and flared with a power that seemed   
infinite; five individual triangles phased in and out on   
the young man's face in a sympathetic rhythm. As the young   
man continued his meditation, a singular doorway appeared   
at the far end of the chamber; the young man turned in   
place to look at a tall hooded figure standing in the   
doorway. One purple eye peered out from the young man as   
he sought to identify exactly who would be interrupting his   
daily meditation.  
  
"I assume, Ersatzu, that you have an excellent   
reason for requesting an audience with me?" The young man   
spoke, never moving from his position. The hooded figure   
pulled the hood up and over its head to reveal an elderly   
man; his bald head was circled by wild, wiry hair that   
seemed to reach out on its own. The old man's forehead   
held an oval gem, which gave off a deep and foreboding   
crimson as the old man sneered at the young man.   
  
"You have been requested to have an audience with   
the Lady, Z." The old man stated quietly, though the echo   
that reverberated through the meditation chamber spoke of   
the power he held in volumes.  
  
"I have a name, D-3. I use yours; at least show   
respect enough to use my own." The young man stated; both   
of his eyes were open, furious and flaring a luminescent   
purple. D-3 took a step back in response to the young   
man's statement.  
  
"As you wish, Zane; however, my willingness to even   
bother with conversation with you, a mere mortal…" D-3   
stated, though the lecture he was about to start never had   
a chance to actually happen. Zane dropped to the ground,   
feet first, as two of the five objects broke away from the   
rest and screamed toward D-3. One liquefied and   
transformed into an extremely long energy band, and wrapped   
the old man's torso in a vise-like squeeze; the other   
stopped within centimeters of the old man's throat. The   
young man gave himself a half smile, and caressed his hand   
against one of the three objects that remained hovering   
nearest to him.  
  
"The Light Hawk Wings. They are said to be the aura   
of God, manifest. There is nothing that these cannot do;   
create, transform,' Zane's eyes narrowed as the wing that   
had been hovering dangerously near D-3's throat crept ever   
closer, 'even destroy. I wonder; could they harm a self-  
centered bigot demigod... such as yourself?" Zane wondered   
aloud, almost flippant with his mood. If D-3 was able to   
sweat, it would be pooling down the demigod's face at this   
point.  
  
"Desist," A feminine voice boomed throughout the   
room; Zane bore into D-3's face with slotted eyes and   
dismissed the five wings, although hesitating when it came   
to the two that kept D-3 bound and in check. Even after he   
was released, the demigod stared right back at Zane though   
no longer with the sneer that graced his visage several   
minutes earlier. The two men watched as the environment   
faded from the meditation chamber on Zane's ship into an   
absolutely huge audience chamber; several different   
platforms on various levels hovered or hung in the area.   
The two men found themselves on the largest of these   
platforms and turned to kneel as they witnessed a huge   
female being phase into the audience chamber in front of   
the platform. Her body dress was covered in a darkened   
rainbow of purples, reds, and blacks; her belt and cape   
were affixed to bands of metal that floated several inches   
away from her body. A purple cornea surrounded a sky blue   
iris in the eyes of the woman, and it was these same eyes   
that the woman narrowed as she looked down upon the two men   
that knelt down before her.  
  
"What is thy wish, my Lady Tokimi?" Zane half-  
whispered, never bringing his eyes up to face the woman.  
  
"Not once have I encouraged dissention among those   
in my employ, and I will not begin now," Tokimi spoke, her   
voice echoing throughout the chamber. The demigod gave a   
sidelong glance toward Zane for but a moment, until purple   
lightning coursed throughout D-3's very being. The screams   
that could be heard echoed through the chamber for what   
seemed like eternity. "And this applies toward my herald as   
well as my champion. Do not provoke Zane again, D-3, or   
you will suffer much worse than a jolt to your pride." The   
goddess's eyes shifted her sight from the tortured demigod;   
the lightning quickly subsided, and D-3 began gasping for   
breath. Zane simply kept his eyes down, gazing intently at   
the platform as he waited for his lady to speak; he knew   
that anything else would provoke a response out of Tokimi   
that would not be in anyone's best interest. He did not   
wait long for something to be said.  
  
"D-3, now that you have been given a proper   
punishment, you have other more pressing matters to concern   
yourself with; go now and take care of them." Tokimi said   
quietly. D-3 quickly phased out of the audience chamber   
and left the goddess and her champion alone. Zane pulled   
his gaze away from the platform he stood upon and looked up   
at his lady.  
  
"You have called me for something, milady?" Zane   
inquired, straightening himself out as his body became   
encapsulated by black and purple fog; his meditation outfit   
was replaced with intimidating purple battle armor; a black   
cloak adorned Zane's shoulders, and was connected to the   
armor at his collarbones while a navy blue shawl covered   
his nose and mouth. The shawl draped itself over each of   
Zane's shoulders and fell back toward the ground with a   
length that rivaled the cloak. Satisfied that he was in   
the proper attire suited for a champion of Tokimi, Zane   
patiently awaited his lady to speak.  
  
"You have done very well in your service to me,   
Zane; your skill and prowess have brought us far in our   
mission. However, there have been many who wish to stop me   
from achieving this; you have been charged with ensuring   
that my goal is achieved.' Tokimi explained, as her body   
seemed to grow smaller and more material. The now much   
smaller Tokimi stood in front of Zane, and put her index   
finger on his forehead in an almost loving fashion; five   
triangular shapes began to shine a luminescent violet on   
Zane's face. 'You have not once failed in the duties that   
I have charged you with, nor the personal obligations that   
you have set yourself out to do. However, this charge I   
give you is one that may be too much for you to face on   
your own. This will mean that simply entrusting your   
artificial with some of the required duties will not be   
sufficient; D-3 will be required if your mission is to   
succeed." Silence permeated the audience chamber as Tokimi   
waited for her words to set in.  
  
"You are to go and pass judgment over the Jurai."   
Tokimi stated finally; Zane's eyes furrowed as he analyzed   
his new mission.  
  
"The Jurai were not yet to be judged, milady, until   
well past the next century. May I know of the reasons that   
you have for this change of plan?" Zane asked. Tokimi   
jutted out her chin at hearing Zane's words, and took the   
finger that touched lightly on the dark champion's forehead   
to trace along his brow, down his cheek and finally came to   
rest just underneath Zane's chin. Lifting up forcefully,   
Tokimi brought the dark champion up to the tips of his toes   
as she looked him over, an almost sensual gleam to her   
eyes.  
  
"No, you may not. However, I will ask you a   
question of my own; what gives you the thought that   
insolence of your caliber will keep me from casting your   
wretched carcass into oblivion?" Zane looked over his own   
shawl covered face at the goddess that held him.  
  
"I apologize, milady; I simply wished to know why   
I was expected to deal with such a powerful opponent so   
soon. They do have Lady Tsunami as their guardian, and you   
have said that Lady Washu is undecided as to whom she will   
side with." Zane spoke, however much his voice cracked due   
to the odd angle that his head was poised. Tokimi smiled   
an eerily sweet smile and released her hold on Zane; the   
dark champion, immediately after landing on his feet,   
grasped his neck and began to work out the impressively   
large kink that had developed.  
  
"You still have yet to answer my question, Zane.   
And do not fear,' Tokimi spoke, the eerie smile never   
leaving her face, 'I will hold on your punishment if I   
believe what you have to say is truthful." Zane averted   
his eyes for a moment, and then turned to look the dark   
goddess fully.  
  
"I do so because you need me as much as I need you,   
milady. I am the only other being in the universe gifted   
with the power of the Light Hawk Wings, and I am the only   
one capable of carrying out your mission to success." Zane   
said aloud, his words clear and precise. Tokimi gazed at   
the dark champion through slotted eyes, and tilted her head   
to one side to look out over the audience chamber.  
  
"Her Chosen will be on Jurai when you arrive; make   
sure that you bring him no harm. However, your mission is   
paramount to his safety; if his decisions bring him into   
harm's way, then it was his choice to do so.' Tokimi spoke,   
putting her arms behind her back and thrusting her chest   
forward as she continued speaking, 'The Maiden of Storms   
and the Maiden of Calms will be preceding him; their safety   
is of importance only if it will keep the Chosen out of our   
way and unwary of our purpose. Waste neither time nor   
energy with them otherwise. Is that clear?" Tokimi turned   
to face Zane after speaking.  
  
"Like crystal, milady. The judgment of Jurai is at   
hand, and the bell of justice will toll for all of them."   
Zane spoke as he was phased out of the audience chamber   
back into the meditation chamber on his ship. As he walked   
out of the meditation chamber toward the bridge, Zane gave   
a half smile to himself.  
  
"Very soon, Chosen one; very soon we shall see if   
you are whom you are meant to be."  
  
************************************  
  
Ayeka yawned audibly as she stretched her waking   
muscles, looking out over the balcony to her gazebo styled   
bedroom. Her eyes drifted slowly out over the small meadow   
that made up the living quarters on the Ryu-Oh; she settled   
her eyes on the living quarters that Tenchi and his father   
resided in.  
  
"I wonder exactly what Tenchi is doing right now?"   
Ayeka whispered to herself as she made her way to her   
dressing room; quickly deciding on a lavender kimono   
trimmed with red cuffs and threading, the elder princess   
made her way over to Tenchi's assigned living quarters.   
Nobuyuki greeted her at the entryway, waving in his usual   
goofy manner.  
  
"Good morning, Miss Ayeka! Are you looking for   
Tenchi?" The elder Masaki asked, putting on his glasses in   
order to see Ayeka with better clarity. The elder princess   
gave a deep nod in the affirmative, and smiled at Nobuyuki.  
  
"Why yes, I was hoping to talk with Lord Tenchi   
about some of our customs and traditions; do you know if he   
would be available at the moment?" Ayeka asked. Nobuyuki   
bunched up his lips in thought, and looked to the side for   
a moment.  
  
"Come to think of it, I think Tenchi's on the   
bridge. Something about seeing Jurai for the first   
time..." Ayeka's eyes grew wide as the words sunk in, and   
the elder princess bolted away from Nobuyuki and the living   
quarters to head toward the bridge as fast as possible. As   
soon as the transporter had finished bringing Ayeka to the   
bridge, she gasped in a combination of surprise and relief;   
in the middle of the bridge, sitting cross-legged and   
staring up at the huge view screen was Tenchi. The elder   
princess followed his gaze up toward the view screen and   
saw exactly what kept his attention so much; a third of the   
planet was now in view at this point, hovering in the   
center of the view screen like a shining green and blue orb   
dangling on a celestial piece of twine.  
  
"Is this Jurai?" Tenchi whispered aloud, the wonder   
and awe cutting through in his voice with the utmost of   
clarity.  
  
"Yes, it is." Ayeka said aloud; Tenchi nearly jumped   
out of his skin at hearing a voice other than his own on   
the bridge. He spun around to look at Ayeka, who had   
traversed the length of the bridge to stand beside the   
young Masaki.  
  
"Uh... It's very beautiful. It kind of reminds me   
of Earth, in a way."  
  
"Well, there are similarities between the two   
worlds, that much is certain.' Ayeka said aloud, sitting   
down finally on Tenchi's left as they sat and watched as   
Ryu-Oh began orbit around Jurai. Several peaceful minutes   
passed without either of them making an attempt for   
conversation; Ayeka was the one to finally break the   
silence.   
  
"By the way, Lord Tenchi, I thought that you might   
have wanted something to remember Earth by while you   
visited Jurai." Ayeka said, and pulled out a small   
perfectly square piece of tree bark from within a small   
pouch on her kimono. Tenchi gave the small piece a   
wondering look, and turned it over in his hand. Carved, in   
perfect kanji, was Ayeka's name; the individual symbols   
were painted in with a sky blue and highlighted with   
lavender purple. After Tenchi had given the gift a good   
once-over, he looked back straight into Ayeka's eyes with a   
thankful smile.  
  
"Thank you so much, Ayeka. Now that I have this, I   
won't be so homesick." Tenchi looked back at the wood   
piece, while Ayeka began to blush a seriously deep red.  
  
"It was my pleasure, Lord Tenchi." Ayeka said   
calmly, and then looked out toward the view screen as the   
two continued to watch the sun emerge from behind Jurai.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Deeper within the ship, a single person sat cross   
legged in the cargo bay aboard the Ryu-Oh. His ash grey   
denim jeans and dress shirt were offset by the emerald green   
and crimson red buttons that held the fabric together in the   
usual places. The wanderer slowly and patiently perused   
through the pages of a fairly large and ancient book, its   
size nearly rivaling that of the lap that it was placed in.   
On Ashe's face, a set of emerald green thin-rimmed glasses   
accentuated his face as he read further into the book.   
Leaning back, Ashe relaxed himself against the trunk of the   
tree he sat under and bunched his lips in understanding.  
  
"So that's what causes the refocusing of molecular   
data into a semispherical array; now that makes sense, but   
why not a complete sphere?"He said, and went back to   
reading the book's later pages. As the wanderer tread   
further into his studies, totally engrossed with the words   
that played themselves out on its pages, two child-like   
figures crept into the room. Silently, the slightly taller   
of the two giggled faintly, and then motioned for the other   
to follow. The wanderer perked an ear, and glanced quickly   
toward one of the entryways into the cargo area. Seeing no   
one in the doorway Ashe continued with his reading,   
oblivious to the two shadowed forms that quickly crept their   
way across the more heavily shaded portion of the cargo   
area, closing the distance to Ashe's location. The rustle   
of leaves caught the wanderer's full attention, forcing Ashe   
to look around. Book in hand and on his knees, the wanderer   
turned to face the source of the noise as it seemed to   
emanate from behind the tree he sat under.  
  
"Hello? What do you want? If it's about the luggage,   
I'll unload it when we're there. Just give me a minute to   
finish this book, I won't take long." When silence was the   
only reply given, Ashe furrowed his brow in a questioning   
look. He stood up quietly, and took several steps forward   
to look around. When Ashe turned to look behind the tree, a   
figure fell out from one of the lower branches in front of   
the wanderer; her face was covered in fur, and the oversized   
pink bow that hung around her neck nearly covered her face   
as the figure hung upside down in front of Ashe.  
  
"MIYAAA MIYAAA MIYAYAAYAA!" squeaked Ryo-Ohki,   
sticking her tongue out at the wanderer to capitalize on the   
surprise factor.   
  
"Ack!" Ashe blurted out, stumbling back several steps   
and tripped over an exposed root. Falling backward, the   
wanderer raised an eyebrow to look at Ryo-Ohki as she was   
being suspended by a rope; following the rope over a branch   
and downward further, he spotted Sasami giggling   
uncontrollably as she witnessed the success of yet another   
scare attack. "What the... Ryo-Ohki???"  
  
"Is me!" Ryo Ohki chirped, waving her arms wildly at   
hearing her name. Slowly being lowered down to the ground   
the young cabbit-girl undid the knot holding the rope around   
her waist, bounded over to Ashe and tugged on his pants.   
Crouching down Ashe stared at Ryo-Ohki in complete amazement   
and surprise while Sasami hopped over to the two, laughing   
almost to the point of gasping for breath.  
  
"Hahahahahaha! Your eyes were… hehehehehe… bugging   
out!" Sasami blurted out between gasps for breath and bouts   
of uncontrollable laughter. Ashe took an index finger and   
lightly touched Ryo-Ohki's nose; the cabbit girl giggled and   
rubbed her nose in response.  
  
"I didn't know that Ryo-Ohki was able to change shape!   
Wow, that's really something." Ashe said aloud, plopping   
down in front of the girls as they continued to laugh at   
Ashe's response from earlier; he snickered playfully as the   
two girls kept rolling on the floor laughing. "You two seem   
to think you're a laugh riot, don't you?" Sasami and Ryo-  
Ohki stopped laughing for a moment, and the two flashed a   
devilishly cute grin.  
  
"Yup," the two girls said. Ashe sighed in a gruff   
tone.  
  
"Figures." The wanderer said quietly, then turned his   
head to look at Tenchi, Ayeka, Ryoko, and the others as they   
entered the cargo area.  
  
"You two were told not to bother or interrupt Ashe   
under any circumstances while he is aboard the ship; we do   
not want anything to happen to anyone while we prepare to   
land on Jurai." Ayeka said pointedly, giving the impression   
that 'anyone' meant anybody other than Ashe. Sasami gave   
her elder sister an angry look, and stuck her tongue out at   
Ayeka.  
  
"He's one of the good guys, Ayeka, so stop acting like   
he's the one who hurt Tenchi. And besides, Ashe volunteered   
to tell me and Ryo-Ohki a story before we land on Jurai!"   
Sasami chirped.  
  
"Yeah, a story!" Ryo-Ohki piped up, which invited a   
chuckle from both Mihoshi and Washu.  
  
"It seems that you have two young ladies looking to   
hear a good story, Ashe," Washu said, giving the wanderer a   
mockingly serious smirk, "So I'd suggest you find a good one   
really quick." Ashe gave the crowd a pleading gaze, hoping   
that one of them would somehow pull him out of this   
predicament. When all he got was the hum of ship engines,   
the wanderer sighed and plopped himself down on floor of the   
cargo area.  
  
"Alright then, I'll tell a story. Well, I do have one   
story that my father told me when I was a little boy; will   
that work for you two?" When the two girls nodded happily,   
Ashe rubbed his chin and began his story.  
  
"A long time ago, on a far away world, there lived a   
spider; he was a grand spider, with the ability to weave   
some of the most dazzling webs that anyone ever saw. And   
this spider, he lived in the Everlasting Forest with all of   
his other animal friends; the deer, the fish, the hawk, the   
bear and the snake. And every day, the spider would sit   
with his friends and listen to all of the things that his   
friends would do during the day. He would laugh, and he   
would cry right along with his other friends as they   
listened to the stories as each animal took their turn to   
tell their own stories about what happened during the day.   
But, when the spider took his turn, he felt that he had done   
nothing special to talk about that day." Ashe said aloud.  
  
"Oh, that's sad, why not?" Sasami asked, keenly   
interested in the story now; even the rest of the group sat   
down to listen to Ashe tell his story as well. The only one   
still standing was Ryoko, who leaned against the cargo area   
entrance.  
  
"Well, it's because the spider was so small, and that   
his friends felt if the spider tried anything like what the   
bear or the deer was able to do that he'd get hurt, so he   
was asked never to do those things. The spider, although   
unhappy with his place in life, just weaved his webs and   
listened to his friends' stories every day as he always   
did."  
  
"I bet he wanted to do stuff like the other animals,   
too." Tenchi said, putting his chin in his hand as he kept   
listening to the story.  
  
"Oh yes, the spider wanted to jump in the fields like   
the deer, or run upstream against the powerful currents like   
the bear. Or even like the hawk, who flew high above the   
trees and saw the entirety of the forest in an eye blink; he   
wanted to do all of those things, but because he was a meek   
little spider he knew he couldn't do those things. So he   
was willing to accept where his role was, and decided to do   
what all spiders knew how to do; the spider created a huge   
and grand web, depicting the lives of all of his friends and   
allies in his life.'  
  
"One day, through simply old age, the spider died. As   
the spider went in front of God, the spider asked if he   
could be given the chance to have one more day; the spider   
wanted one last chance to do what he wasn't able to do   
before. God agreed."  
  
"And so the spider was granted one more day of life.   
And as the hours passed by, the spider still had no clue as   
to what he should do. Then, through a stroke of enlightened   
understanding, the spider made his choice; he finished the   
great web he had started on so long ago. When the last   
remaining threads of the day disappeared, just as the spider   
finished his greatest creation, the spider left this world   
to go forward into the next."  
  
"That's a rather sad story, Ashe. Why is the purpose   
of telling a story with an unhappy ending?" Ayeka   
questioned, a tone of disapproval floating along with her   
voice. Ashe took a moment to glance at the elder princess.  
  
"There's a reason for why the spider had chosen to do   
what he had done; this isn't the ending to the story, mind   
you. Now the spider had told no one about his pact with   
God, but his friends felt badly about not letting their   
friend go along with his dreams. They went to the spider's   
home and found him dead on the great web he had spent so   
long in creating. The sheer beauty and detail of the web   
brought tears and sadness and happiness to the eyes of the   
friends of the spider, and they wept for a long time. And   
ever since that day, that spider web was always taken very   
good care of and all the animals paid homage to their friend   
on that very day every year afterward. Now,' asked Ashe,   
'What could be the moral of that story?" Tenchi scratched   
his head for a moment, and stood up.  
  
"I'd say that each person is important in their own   
way, regardless of size or stature." Tenchi said, clear and   
precise with his choice of words; Ayeka nodded in agreement   
with Tenchi's interpretation.  
  
"Well, there's one I like. Are there any other   
takers?" Ashe queried to the rest of the group.  
  
"You don't realize what you've got until it's gone?"   
Mihoshi said aloud, almost as if expecting no one to hear   
her. Ashe tapped his chin, and nodded his agreement with   
her choice.  
  
"That's a darn good one, too. How about you, Ryoko?   
You got an idea about what the story is supposed to teach?"   
Ashe asked the pirate; Ryoko simply gave the wanderer a   
sidelong smirk.  
  
"I'm not the resident wise man; that's Katsuhito's   
job. So instead of pulling this whole 'Lemme get your point   
of view on such-and-such,' why don't you tell us what your   
impression of that story was, Ashe?" Ryoko spoke, putting a   
hardened gaze on the wanderer. Ashe shuffled in his seat,   
and sat up to answer.  
  
"What I thought was the moral? Okay, I believe it's   
this; sometimes, it's not what you take with you that'll   
make life worth living. Sometimes, just sometimes, it's   
what you leave behind." Ryoko and the rest of the family   
gave the wanderer half confused stares; Washu and Katsuhito   
both nodded as they took in Ashe's words. Not long   
afterward, Ayeka looked upward and toward the front of the   
ship.  
  
"The Ryu-Oh has docked itself into the Great Nursery,   
Princess." Azaka's mechanized voice announced over the   
cargo area.  
  
"Excellent. I must go and prepare; Sasami, come now,   
we must make ourselves ready for Father. Tenchi, if you   
will excuse us, please?" Ayeka said, slowly pulling herself   
upright as she turned toward the cargo bay entrance. Sasami   
hopped up and trailed behind the elder princess as the two   
exited the cargo bay; she turned to face Ashe and the rest   
of the family before disappearing completely.  
  
"Not a problem, Ayeka. I'll see you at the   
transporter." Tenchi said, taking his own opportunity to   
get up off of the floor of the cargo area. Waving at   
everyone, the young Masaki left to prepare for his first   
true visit to another world. 


	6. Chapter 6: Gifts and Goddesses

Tenchi Muyo is the property of Pioneer and AIC. I've   
no intention of using this to garner profits of any kind or   
type, so unless you like to take a poor man's computer away   
from him, please don't sue me!? Please?  
  
All other characters, depictions, places, and   
theories that have been put into place are my own creation   
and have no relevance to Tenchi Muyo in any way except in   
the ways I've explained. These are my own thoughts and   
imagination, and any relation to other stories that are not   
my own are accidental. Honest.   
  
My e-mail is kai_kerrigan@attbi.com for any and all   
feedback. Please, PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND!!!   
Thank you! ^-^  
  
Author's Notes: I'd like to thank Evil_Pii and Jocko   
for helping me out with what has been a very serious   
writer's block in this story. I don't really know if I   
would have ever gotten this far without them.  
  
Thanks, guys.  
  
*****************************************************  
Tenchi Muyo: The Web of Life  
Chapter 6: Gifts and Goddesses  
*****************************************************  
  
Journal Entry: G.D. 102000  
Time: 12:43 A.M. (Terran Time)  
  
I finished analyzing Ashe's genetic code after   
several days; something I thought akin to impossible,  
personally speaking. Regardless of that fact, the   
computers have given me the following results: "No cohesive   
match found; result: unknown species."  
  
Obviously, I know that is complete crap; so, with yet   
another of my clandestine strokes of insight, I scanned  
individual sections of Ashe's DNA. What I found was   
something close to indescribable. His DNA... the only real   
analogy I could use would be 'Genetic Frankenstein's   
Monster'. The man's genetics have been spliced and sewn   
together from virtually thousands of different species that   
live, or have lived, in the known universe. I'm still in   
the process of finding out what species contributed over   
145 different 'pieces' to the creature that Ashe has   
become; this stemming from the 2500+ individual components   
that I've isolated thus far.  
  
By all rights, Ashe should not even be here; while   
all of the segments are compatible and capable of   
interaction without any form of rejection, the powers that   
he exhibits seem to partially stem from his spliced coding.   
However, the spliced code shows no sign of a 'battery', a   
segment so named because of its purpose; to generate and   
amplify energy that fuels a species' innate abilities.  
  
The question that I have now is this... what is   
fueling Ashe's powers? I've considered an outside source   
of power, rather similar to Ryoko; however, he had no such   
objects on his person when he regenerated the damage he   
suffered from falling though the Earth's atmosphere, so   
I've ruled out any items or artifacts. I considered a form   
of vampirism, but when he still exhibited powers after I   
created an energy resilience field to surround the   
proximity of the Masaki residence and the fact that he   
never left the premises once in the entire time he was on   
Earth with Tenchi's family has forced me to rule this   
concept out as well.  
  
It is entirely plausible that his abilities may be   
fueled by celestial intervention, but I find that to be   
rather speculative. Ashe has heard of Lady Tsunami, but   
believes it to be nothing more than a legend. Not   
surprising considering he's a wanderer by nature; however,   
it's not impossible for other celestial beings to be in   
this universe. Lady Tsunami's mere presence proves that   
the celestial theory can hold a great deal of water.  
  
The question is whether or not the water is going to   
be worth swallowing.  
  
End of Entry  
  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
Washu sat back in her laboratory cushion, thinking   
over what she had said in her latest journal entry.   
Although the lab was dimly light on this particular moment,   
the light given off more than illuminated the control node   
where Washu sat; her features, if anyone could see them,   
were wrought with heavy thinking.  
  
"You shouldn't think so hard, Washu. You'll hurt   
those brain cells if you try too hard." Another voice   
seemed to echo out through the lab.  
  
"Who's there?! How did you get in here? Computer,   
scan and pinpoint the location of any intruders!" the child   
scientist roared, spinning around to peer into the   
blackness that surrounded the control node.  
  
"No intruders present, Doctor. All life forms   
present and accounted for." The computer voice spoke, the   
mechanized voice echoing through the control node   
ominously. Washu hopped off of her cushion and began to   
creep out toward one of the entrances toward another area   
of the lab, when she heard the same voice resound from   
behind her.  
  
"What was that line again? Ah, yes. Murphy's Law,   
number such and such; what you're looking for is always in   
the last place you expect to find it." The voice said   
aloud, chuckling quietly at the comment. Washu turned to   
find an elder Washu sitting, her legs crossed at the knees,   
on the cushion that she sat on just moments ago.  
  
"It's you again. I should've known." Washu declared,   
a hint of annoyance in her child-like voice. The elder   
Washu snickered, and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Should've, could've, would've, but didn't. That's a   
problem you need to work on, don't you think?" The child   
scientist gave the other Washu a flash frozen gaze.  
  
"I think getting pointers on how to understand who I   
am shouldn't be coming from a mental block, of all things."   
The elder Washu bowed from her position on the cushion, and   
stood up slowly.  
  
"Touché, madam scientist; perhaps you are right.   
But, considering that I am your own mental block, I figured   
that it was my place to say if anyone at all." Washu strode   
over to her control panel, and began to pull up various   
windows. The elder Washu turned to face the younger Washu,   
as the child scientist continued with her goings on.  
  
"Don't bother; I'm not really in the room. Benefits   
of being a mental projection, I'd suppose. However, I find   
it intriguing that I'm able to manifest outside of your   
subconscious. I wonder…" The elder Washu spoke; both women   
turned to face the only lit area on the outskirts of the   
control node. A cylindrical tube of glass was jutting out   
of the floor by a couple of feet, with two red orbs   
hovering several inches above it.  
  
"I knew you'd reclaim them. I'm amazed it was this   
soon, however. How did you..."  
  
"They came from Tenchi's energy sword; after I   
explained my 'flashbacks' he was willing to allow the gems   
to be removed from the weapon's hilt, though he chose to   
remain in the room while I studied them.' Washu said   
quietly, 'Though it took about 4 times as long to get   
Tenchi to leave them here for the night. He may be   
confused about some things, but Tenchi's stubborn when he   
feels the need to be."  
  
"I see; he's a smart boy. Well, now that you have   
them, why not use them?" The elder Washu asked as the   
younger Washu walked toward the gems.  
  
"I've tried to tap into these gems a thousand times;   
every time I have I've gotten the equivalent of feedback   
that leaves me with a headache for days. How am I supposed   
to tap the power of these gems if they act like this?" The   
elder Washu shook her head at those words.  
  
"Let me give you another hint; regardless of what it   
may be, knowledge has power."  
  
Washu glanced at her older self and looked back at   
the orbs as the two hovered and danced above their   
pedestal. Reaching out and scooping them tenderly into her   
child-like hands, the scientist watched them for some time.  
  
"What am I supposed to ask you? Teach me?" The   
younger Washu wondered aloud to the gems, as if expecting   
some kind of laughter in response. The supernova of red   
light that erupted from the gems, however, burnt all forms   
of cynicism and doubt away in a heartbeat. When the light   
faded away, Washu found herself floating in space and in   
front of an absolutely huge planet; it seemed as if it were   
a shimmering purple dot on a satin sheet called space.  
  
"Where… This is Far Eden!" Washu declared mentally,   
as information began to pour into her mind like water from   
a spring thaw. An echo of her own voice seemed to   
reverberate from the depths of her mind as she stared at   
the long forgotten world.  
  
"Astute, aren't we? I'm amazed that you've   
assimilated so much information so soon. I'm impressed   
with myself yet again. Now, however, comes the tricky   
part."  
  
Washu noticed that everything blurred for a moment,   
which was all that was needed to completely change the   
point of view from orbit above, to planet-side as the child   
scientist noticed the huge and bustling city she stood in   
the center of.  
  
"Far Eden was a center of scientific and   
technological progress for the galaxy, when the galaxy's   
inhabitants began to find each other for the first time.   
The planet's strategic placement in the galactic star-  
charts made it a perfect place for various forms of life to   
congregate and mingle. The advancements made in genetic   
research and biotechnologies were unprecedented, almost   
comparable to that of modern day. Even now, most of the   
now basic theorems and accepted rules of biology, genetics,   
and biotechnology stem from the discoveries that were made   
on this little purple rock. In short, Far Eden was the   
closest that the galaxy had to a universal place of true   
enlightenment in ancient times, be it social or   
scientific." The city street she stood upon seemed to   
evolve and grow around her, as the technology blossomed and   
interwove itself into the world in the course of minutes.   
Wheeled vehicles became hovercraft, which in turn evolved   
further and became more streamlined. Clothing and fashion   
seemed to evolve and become more modern, and the species of   
life seemed to grow and change at an awesome rate.  
  
"But, power tends to corrupt, and corrupt the world   
of Far Eden it did. The Edenians, obsessed with   
perfection, strived to use their technology to create an   
ultimate being composed of their own genetic code.   
Believing that their own species were the only ones capable   
of achieving this, the Edenians purged their home world in   
a bloody display of power. Their civilization, once a   
diverse and beautiful tapestry, had fallen apart a thread   
at a time. But for everything that had been destroyed,   
there was one who strived for what the Edenians had sought,   
and without the pretense of arrogance and haughtiness."   
The voice of the elder Washu echoed, as the vision   
continued; the view shifted and blurred yet again, this   
time with an environment that rivaled the complexity of   
Washu's own lab. As the child scientist gazed around the   
room, an older man strode past, with a navy blue shawl   
covering his left shoulder, with what seemed to be a coat   
of arms embroidered on it. With an old walking cane in   
hand, the old man ambled his way toward his goal; a   
cylindrical tube that was connected to thousands of   
different machines and diagnostics equipment. Filled with   
a greenish translucent fluid, the old man placed his hands   
on the tube as if he were caressing a small child.  
  
"Brynn; his name was Errol Brynn." Washu noted   
aloud, gazing at the figure with the esteem of a lost   
colleague.  
  
"The man was a genius in genetics recombination and   
bio-energy; his colleagues spoke rumors that God himself   
gave Brynn the knowledge of the creation of all life.   
Regardless of the rumors, he headed the project that would   
create the very thing that his race had waited for with   
baited breath. But he created something not out of desire   
of perfection, nor a bid for power, but rather…" The elder   
Washu said, with a tone that all but spoke of the confusion   
that permeated her thoughts, "That he was infertile; that   
the awesome genius possessed by this man was used to create   
life… in order to have a family. Of all the things he   
could have done, he created a child of his own, with   
components from thousands of differing races in the galaxy   
including portions of his own genetic code as a template;   
he knew that perfection was impossible within his own   
fractured and corrupted race, so Brynn sought to achieve it   
through the unification of all that he knew. The results   
of everything he had done would be the greatest achievement   
that he would ever have, and the fatal strike to a broken   
civilization."  
  
"I've read bits and pieces about Brynn and Far Eden's   
civilization in what little was salvaged from the planet's   
surface; what I don't get is how the planet died so   
suddenly." The younger Washu wondered aloud, watching   
again as the world blurred around her; this time it placed   
her back into the metropolis where she stood several   
moments before. However, the hustle and bustle ceased as   
everyone within her line of sight stared at the now-  
darkened sky; a monstrous ship devoured the skyline above,   
with the underbelly giving the illusion of a huge hand   
reaching down to grasp the city. Every receiver,   
television, and radio turned on automatically, and an   
ominously dark and foreboding voice came across every   
speaker in the city.  
  
"I have found the world of Far Eden guilty of crimes   
against yourselves and your fellow sentients. The   
sentencing for these crimes is death; may God have mercy on   
all of your souls." Washu turned as she stood in place,   
looking at one of the view-screens that had activated; she   
saw an intimidating young, spiky white haired man; his arms   
crossed in front of purple battle armor, and a navy blue   
embroidered shawl covered his nose and mouth. The shawl   
draped itself over each of the young man's shoulders and   
fell back toward the ground.   
  
"Oh dear God," the younger Washu half-choked, "Who   
are you?" Almost as a response the figure planted his   
blue-purple eyes directly into the child scientist's own,   
and spoke.  
  
"I am the Dirge of Worlds. I am Zane." And the   
world went red with light and pain.   
  
The younger Washu screamed out loud, and her eyes   
shot open; realizing that she was still in the laboratory,   
the child scientist forcefully threw the gems back onto the   
pedestal where the grav-unit caught them. Staring at the   
gems, Washu visibly shuddered and clenched her hands into   
fists. She growled, and turned back to the control node to   
enter all of the information she had learned.  
  
"The more I'm finding out about myself, the less I   
like."  
  
******************************************  
  
"That is the biggest tree I've ever seen in my life.   
What do you feed that thing? Miracle Grow?" Ashe wondered   
out loud, staring straight up the trunk of a tree; no small   
feat, considering the trunk was several miles in diameter   
and the tree canopy shot tens of thousands of feet into the   
air. The family stood in front of a set of open gates into   
the tree, the size of which shot several hundred feet   
upward as well.  
  
"That is the Heaven Tree. It is, quite literally,   
the capital city of the Jurai Empire and I feel that you   
should give it due respect." Ayeka flared, giving the   
wanderer daggers for eyes as the entire family stood in   
front of the main gates into the city. As the wanderer   
visibly winced under the elder princess's scrutiny, a small   
drone dropped down from above, and began its speech.  
  
"Welcome to the planet Jurai. The city you are   
entering is named Jurai City; you may also know it by its   
royal name, the Heaven Tree. Legend states that the   
Tsunami tree was birthed in the protective confines of this   
very tree and, as such, the Heaven Tree is the royal seat   
of power for the Jurai Empire." The drone guide blared,   
reciting its entrance message with perfect clarity.  
  
"Amazing! Are there more drones like this all over   
Jurai?" Tenchi asked Ayeka as the group listened further   
into the message.  
  
"Oh yes. There is a series of drone guides to talk   
about the vibrant history of Jurai at every historical and   
scientific landmark; do you wish to visit more of them?"   
Ayeka asked, a faint smile creeping across her lips as she   
waited for Tenchi's answer.  
  
"That'd be great, Ayeka. I don't know why, but I've   
wanted to understand Jurai… my heritage… for a while now."  
  
"There is no surprise, Tenchi. You've been brought   
into a larger world, and you feel the need to understand   
your roots; it's only natural to want to understand what   
has come before you." Katsuhito spoke quietly, taking   
several steps toward his grandson to put a hand on his   
shoulder. "And I will not stop you from finding your   
heritage; after all, you deserve to know."  
  
"And I'd love to know all about this place, too. I   
mean, look at the architectural treasure trove we've got   
here! I could borrow from a tenth of the styles I'm seeing   
and still not put all of those to use by the end of this   
century!" Nobiyuki exclaimed, staring at the huge and   
ornate buildings that jutted into the sky around the   
gigantic tree that the family stood in front of. His voice   
faded away, however, when he saw several beautiful ladies   
enter the gates ahead of the group. The drone began its   
usual program, and ushered everyone into the city; they   
were shown various sights and sounds, and most of the   
family were awed by the sheer beauty of what they saw. As   
the drone continued with its explanations, the family took   
one of several of the teleport platforms skyward; a huge   
wooden platform with several runic words written into the   
platform, glowing a faint blue. As the platform took the   
family up toward their final destination, Tenchi looked out   
over the side of the portal, wondering what he would see;   
huge buildings, both commercial and residential, that were   
symbiotically designed to be integrated into the side of   
the tree itself and huge catwalks that link the opposing   
sides of the tree. The various teleport platforms that   
linked the differing levels of the tree together was the   
final piece of the organic puzzle that turned the Heaven   
Tree into a vibrant and thrumming metropolis of life.  
  
"Awe-inspiring, isn't it?" Ashe whispered to Tenchi;   
the young Masaki could only nod in dumbfounded agreement.  
  
"You've been here before, Ashe?" Tenchi asked aloud;   
Ashe nodded in the affirmative.  
  
"Yes, I have. See, down at the bottom levels of the   
inside and outside of the tree is the homes of the   
citizens. They're nice people, all of them, and you'll   
never find anyone as helpful in half the galaxy. The   
central levels that we've just passed by are the commercial   
and military levels; mostly businesses, embassies, and law   
enforcement. The stuff we're about to see at the top   
levels is what I call the 'Big Five'. Those are the houses   
for the four Juraian Royal Houses, plus the house for the   
current Emperor and his immediate family. I love the   
Masaki royal house; it's really beautiful when the house   
changes color to match the seasons." The whole family,   
including Ryoko, the drone, and Mihoshi, turned to face   
Tenchi and Ashe.  
  
"How do you know of that? No one ever sees the Royal   
Houses unless they are invited personally." The drone   
queried.  
  
"I guess I must've been invited personally, then."   
Ashe chirped, and went quiet for the rest of the ride on   
the platform. As the platform finished its ascent,   
Tenchi's eyes shot open like saucers. In front of the   
whole family, climbing into the sky like a child straining   
to touch the clouds, was the house of the royal family.   
Huge spires thrust themselves out of the very tree that   
birthed them, and almost all of the Royal House had   
branches growing in various and predetermined places,   
giving the whole place a camouflaged look; from what Tenchi   
knew of Jurai, he half-expected this. Looking about,   
however, Tenchi noticed that there were four other huge   
properties with houses, grown in a similar fashion from the   
tree itself. It was these four houses that circled the   
home of Emperor Azusa. Huge gardens stretched out before   
each house, each done in the respective styles of the noble   
houses. One of the houses, situated at the family's left   
side, was shaded in a plethora of differing shades of   
browns, greens, and blues; it was this house that seduced   
and captivated Tenchi's imagination. Katsuhito smiled at   
his grandson, and nodded in silent agreement when the   
younger Masaki looked at him with wondering, star-struck   
eyes.  
  
"That is House Masaki, Tenchi. That is where your   
history lies. As of right now, however, it is best to go   
and present ourselves in front of the Emperor. Afterward,   
when we are finished with the formalities, we will make our   
way to the House and rest." Tenchi nodded in agreement,   
and followed his grandfather as the family entered the   
central house to visit the Emperor. The family disembarked   
from the platform, and followed the walkway that led   
directly to the Royal House. Mihoshi stopped for a moment   
and, as she watched everyone else enter through the main   
doors into the building, she noticed something.  
  
"Um, where's Washu? I thought that she was with us   
when we left Ayeka's ship."  
  
"She was; Washu said that she'd get here ahead of us   
and be waiting in the main audience chamber. She said that   
she had to talk to some people while we were preparing."   
Ryoko replied, never taking her eyes off of the Jurai royal   
guards that were posted on either side of the entrance to   
the main audience chamber for Emperor Azusa; the guards   
were doing likewise to her as well. On one side of the   
grand hall, a tall and beautiful female stepped out and   
strode over toward the group as they waited for entry.   
Ashe was the first one of the group to spot her as she made   
her way over; she had long red hair that was pulled back in   
a formal but sultry style, while the sparkling green dress   
that she wore held a dignified grace and yet carried a   
heavy tone of primal sexiness. Ashe's mind screeched to a   
halt as his eyes met the beautiful woman's green eyed gaze.  
  
"Hello!" Ashe wistfully declared to the woman as she   
stopped in front of the wanderer. She smirked and raised   
an eyebrow, realizing in no large amount of time and   
pleasant satisfaction that Ashe, while being obviously   
flirtatious, had absolutely no clue in the world to whom he   
was being so friendly toward.  
  
"Hello, yourself; now, I've already talked with who I   
needed to. Everyone is ready to see you at any time."   
Ashe scratched his head, still not understanding something.  
  
"Do I know you, miss?" Ashe asked, quizzical and   
curious in one awestruck moment. She cackled for several   
moments, and Ashe's eyes shot open wide as he began to   
realize exactly who she was. "W-Washu?"  
  
"The one and only! Who were you expecting to see,   
the next Miss Jurai?" Washu looked herself over for a   
moment, and posed herself in a very classy and provocative   
stance. "Hmm... I think I'd cut it, from what I can tell."  
  
"WASHU!!" Ryoko screeched, shoving Ashe's head down   
in the process of getting eye-to-eye with her mother.   
"What in the hell as gotten into you?" The pirate   
mentally screeched.  
  
"Other than the fact that you're ticked off because   
I decided to go adult form today?… Not much." Washu   
mentally declared, and walked off toward the entrance of   
the Royal house. Ashe watched as the scientist leave, and   
looked back at the rest of the family.  
  
"Well, I guess I've gotten the ride I needed to get   
back into the heart of the galaxy. It's much appreciated,   
guys, and I owe you one." Ryoko flashed a dark and mocking   
smile at the wanderer, and briskly walked him right up to   
the entrance.  
  
"Yeah, well, how about we just put that on your tab,   
okay? It's been great having you around; loads of fun,   
attempted to beat you senseless, but I hope there's no hard   
feelings!" She declared and pushed him closer to the   
entryway. Ashe stumbled for several steps, and turned to   
face Ryoko with cynical eyes.  
  
"Why thank you. It's nice to know that my life was   
worth that much." Ashe retorted, though those words fell   
on deaf ears as the space pirate walked back toward the   
rest of the group.  
  
"Well, it's been nice having you around, Ashe. I   
hope you have a good life ahead of you." Tenchi voiced out   
loud, and waved good-bye to the wanderer.  
  
"I'll still be in the city for some time, so if you   
still need me for anything at all, come and get me!" Ashe   
replied, and waved back at the young Masaki. As the   
wanderer stopped at the entrance and stretched himself out   
with a cat-like grace, Washu strode over away from her   
place next to the information desk and up to Ashe's side.  
  
"Ashe, I wanted to ask you a question."  
  
"Does it involve any more tests? Because if you even   
bring one more needle near me…" Washu gave a slight   
chuckle at that comment, though it seemed more enjoyment of   
the humor than recognition of an obvious phobia.  
  
"Hardly, don't worry about that. I'm still   
interested in hearing more about your life, however, and   
since I have the time available, I'd like to talk with you   
when you have the chance." Ashe, after staying silent for   
a moment, decided to foster a smirk that rivaled Washu's   
own.  
  
"Sure, on two conditions."   
  
"Oh, and what are those?"  
  
"You stay in adult form for one; it'd look strange if   
I went out on a date with a 12 year old girl. Secondly,   
I'd like to take you to a couple of places on Jurai, if   
we're going to do this. I don't like sitting in a lab for   
4 hours as I babble on about things long since past; fair   
enough?" Washu gave the wanderer a smirk of her own,   
tinted with both annoyance and humor.  
  
"Who said this was a date?" Ashe gave a wide grin to   
Washu, and walked out of the entryway toward the exit   
transport that would take him downward into the rest of the   
city before giving his reply.  
  
"Who wanted to get to know me better?"  
  
**************************************  
  
Tenchi ambled his way through the myriad halls and   
areas of House Masaki; complete awe and child-like wonder   
shone through his eyes as he took in the spectacle in front   
of him. The main rooms were all designed to be similar to   
an arboretum; plants and flowers of thousands of kinds grew   
and intertwined themselves into the walls and ceiling. The   
young Masaki turned the corner, and ended up at an alcove   
with a balcony that jutted outside of the house; looking   
out over the edge, Tenchi saw the huge expanse of forests   
and plains that stretched out toward the horizon along with   
several star-ports and smaller towns as well. He sat down   
and gazed out over what he had seen; it seemed like an   
eternity had passed before he realized that someone spoke   
behind him.  
  
"I believe you are in my favorite alcove." Tenchi   
turned in a flash to look at Funaho; she was no longer   
dressed in her official garb, and took to a motherly style   
of dress. She gave Tenchi an endearing smile, and motioned   
as if she wished to take a seat near him. The young Masaki   
stood quietly, showing his manners and allowing Funaho to   
take a seat before he did.  
  
"Very few people sit in this very alcove and look at   
the view of the surrounding area. It's one of my favorite   
places to come and think about many different things."   
Tenchi sat down and looked out over the scenery as he   
spoke.  
  
"Yeah, I see what you mean. It's captivating,"   
Tenchi mused, leaning out to take in the view more fully.   
"...and peaceful." Funaho nodded in silent agreement, and   
followed Tenchi's gaze outward, toward the tree ships that   
had been landing at a small nursery. A pair of Light Hawk   
Wings emerged for several moments around one of the ships,   
and disappeared just as suddenly; Funaho saw, for a brief   
moment, Tenchi flinch as he watched the wings come and go   
without a second thought. She decided to speak when she   
saw the young Masaki's eyes droop toward the ground.  
  
"What bothers you, Tenchi? Please, if you would be   
willing to sate a curiosity, I would be honored to help you   
with any dilemma that you may feel caught in."  
  
"Huh? It's not that big a deal, really. Thanks for   
your concern, though." Tenchi spoke, the quiet thrum of   
his own confusion echoing through the words.  
  
"It is, however; your own voice gives it away. I   
have not, and will not, tolerate someone unwilling to   
explain what pains their heart. So, speak up; you have   
someone willing to listen." Tenchi stopped mentally,   
realizing how much he gave away.  
  
"It's... well, it's the Light Hawk Wings. I can   
summon them... sort of." Funaho nodded in understanding.   
  
"I know about your unique ability."  
  
"I figured you all would at one point or another."  
Funaho nodded in solemn agreement, and looked out over the   
scenery over the balcony in the alcove.  
  
"Well, then, what is it about the Light Hawk Wings   
that has your mind and heart ill at ease?" Tenchi remained   
silent, though at several times he moved as though to begin   
his explanation. It almost caught the royal lady by   
surprise when Tenchi finally vented his feelings on them.  
  
"I just don't understand why I was given the Light   
Hawk Wings. I have the feeling that anyone else in the   
universe could've gotten these, but it was me who they were   
given to. What I still don't get is why they were given to   
me. I mean, look at the Royal Family; they have some of   
the most powerful beings in the galaxy all under one roof,   
I'm sure that one of them is more than qualified to wield   
them." Tenchi, now finished with blurting out a condensed   
version of his frustrations on the subject, slumped in his   
seat and hung his head. Funaho kept her eyes looking   
forward and unmoving, save for a moment when she looked at   
her great-grandson.  
  
"Perhaps what you say is true. I doubt that,   
however." Tenchi turned his head to look at Funaho,   
confusion overriding the look of frustration that clouded   
his face earlier.  
  
"How so?"  
  
"It may be true that your lineage may have had   
influence on God's choice of giving you command of the   
Light Hawk Wings. However, even with that, one does not   
garner even an inkling of the power of God without first   
having been proven to be respectful of its power and wise   
in its use." Tenchi scratched his head as he tried to   
understand what Funaho was attempting to explain. She   
beamed a smile of patient and gentle understanding as she   
watched the young Masaki delve into deeper thought.  
  
"In simpler terms, Tenchi, by simply being who you   
are, you have earned a gift that no one in the universe has   
ever had or will ever have in a very long, long time."  
  
"Oh. I guess I don't see how."  
  
"Perhaps you will, when the time comes. For now, be   
patient with yourself and perhaps the answers you seek will   
come to you then."   
  
"Um, Great-Grandmother?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thank you. You know, for talking with me." Funaho   
smiled again, and nodded in response.  
  
"Of course, Tenchi."  
  
Tenchi bowed to Funaho as she turned to view the   
scenery, and left to look at the rest of the house and to   
think about a great many things.  
  
**************************************  
  
The field officer looked over the information with   
acute fear, though it was the same load of apprehension   
that locked the man's eyes on the pictures as well. After   
his eyes had their fill of what was shown to them, they   
rose upward to look at the Juraian noblewoman who sat   
across from him. Dressed in the standard garb, the only   
real strangeness that he felt from the woman was the   
feeling of sterility from her purple and silver eyes.  
  
"Are you sure that these photos are accurate?"  
  
"Of course, I can attest to the source myself."  
  
"Well, then. The Jurai militia is eternally grateful   
for the information that you've provided to us, and we will   
make sure that this is given to the right hands."  
  
"That is all that I would ask of you, sir. Now, I   
must leave as I have other issues that require my   
attention." With that, the woman walked away from the   
young man and exited the building that housed the higher   
officials of the Jurai militia. After walking several   
steps, the woman quickly ducked behind a tree and closed   
her eyes for several moments; the royal façade dissolved   
away to reveal Ersatzu, clothed in her usual garb. She   
pulled a small communications device out of a small pocket   
on her suit, and activated it.  
  
"Results?"  
  
"They have the information you wished to give them.   
All you need do is wait for your moment to act." The   
silence that echoed out from the communication device did   
little to hide the smirk that crossed the lips of the man   
on the other side.  
  
**************************************  
  
Washu stood in front of a doorway, contemplating the   
conversation she had earlier in the day. She had been in   
the throne room, talking with Funaho and Misaki.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"And so you believe that there is someone who is   
attempting to harm the Royal Family. Do you have any ideas   
as to who it may be?" Funaho questioned, the worry storming   
her face like a hurricane. The scientist shook her head in   
response to the lady's question.  
  
"Unfortunately, I haven't any real clue. The girls   
think it may be Ashe, but I've kept him under constant   
surveillance from the time he first made show at the Masaki   
home. From what I can tell, if it's him, he's got some   
serious equipment if he can communicate to someone without   
my knowing." Washu said, taking the seat that one of the   
aides provided her as she spoke. Funaho also took as seat   
herself, sitting across from Washu. Misaki stood behind   
Funaho, munching away at some shortbread cookies as fast as   
the aide was wheeling them out.  
  
"Well, if it's about fighting, then that's my   
department. I'll simply have Yosho, Tenchi, and the rest   
of the family kept under watch for their stay. That ought   
to make sure that nobody even gets close!" Misaki chirped   
after gulping a bite of shortbread cookie. Funaho put a   
finger to her lips in thought for several moments.  
  
"Useful, sister, but I doubt that the attacker would   
attempt the same tactics here. Almost all of Jurai is well   
armed and quite capable of finding such a person, not to   
mention the sheer risk they would take by trying to   
infiltrate the Royal Quarter." Misaki shrugged and stuffed   
yet another shortbread cookie into her mouth.  
  
"Eh, I'll still increase security around the Royal   
Quarter, just in case." Funaho turned to Misaki and smiled   
warmly.  
  
"I would expect no less from you, sister. And I   
thank you, Little Washu, for bringing this information to   
us; no doubt that you wished to keep from alarming everyone   
at once with this news. Though, I must ask," Washu raised   
an eyebrow as she waited for Funaho's question, "Why you   
have decided to take on your adult form to see us?"  
  
"I figured it'd be entertaining to go walking around   
like this for a while and stir things up a bit." Washu   
remarked, and chuckled. "Besides, I've got a feeling that   
there's a certain wanderer just hasn't learned to fear the   
Greatest Scientific Mind in the Universe!" The cackle   
heard from Washu made both of the ladies, and almost all of   
the aides, in the room sweat drop in response. The   
scientist stood up and bowed to the two women, and began   
heading toward the entryway to the waiting room. "However,   
I still plan on finding this assailant as soon as possible.   
If you'll excuse me…"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Of course, her response to Funaho's question wasn't   
completely wrong; at least, not about the stirring things   
up component. However, Washu thought as she stood in front   
of the doorway, she began to wonder if it was more to prove   
something to Ashe. What could it be? She thought to   
herself; simple proof of her actual age is something that's   
easily found out through the right sources. Unless, it had   
deeper roots than proving that she was older than he   
thought. The doorway opened suddenly, giving the scientist   
no time to consider her current thoughts too deeply.   
Mihoshi stumbled out of the doorway, raggedly dressed in   
her officer's uniform, and quickly righted herself before   
she could fall into Washu.  
  
"Uh, yeah, Little Washu? What was it that you   
needed?" Washu looked the space officer over once and   
smirked. She let Mihoshi stew for a moment as she raised   
an eyebrow at her appearance.  
  
"Mihoshi, come with me." Washu turned and began   
walking down the corridor. Mihoshi stood there for a   
moment in confusion, and then hurried herself to fall in   
step beside the scientist.  
  
"Well, what's up? I'm sure that you don't just call   
on me for just any old thing, since this is the first time   
you've ever done that." Mihoshi stood there, and tapped   
her fingers to her chin in seemingly deep thought. "Yeah,   
it's the first time you've done that."  
  
"You're right, Mihoshi, it is. However, the reason   
for getting you up at so early of an hour was because of   
your access to files that I might need."  
  
"What kinds of files would you need that only I can   
get?" Mihoshi scratched her head and thought about it as   
the two kept walking. The officer snapped her fingers in a   
stroke of understanding. "Ohh. You need files and don't   
want to try hacking the GXP database, don't you?" Washu   
chuckled nervously at the comment, and shrugged to Mihoshi.   
The two kept walking as they entered the Galaxy Archive   
that was stationed in the front half of the Royal House.   
Washu waved her hand over a control sphere that sat next to   
the doorway, and the doors to the great archive parted to   
allow the two women entry.  
  
"More like keeping things official and clean;   
besides, what would the GXP have that I wouldn't have   
already recorded or archived?"  
  
"Well, obviously something that isn't in your current   
database." Mihoshi said with a yawn; the words, however,   
caught the scientist off guard. Washu gave the space   
officer a stare, amazement flooding over her features.  
  
"Touché, Mihoshi." The space officer blinked twice   
and stared at Washu with utter confusion in her eyes.   
  
"For what?"   
  
"Never mind." Washu shook her head in defeat, and   
then entered the archive. She breathed deeply, and took in   
the appearance of the Galaxy Archive again for the first   
time in roughly 7000 years. Huge in size and abundant with   
information, the archive looked rather similar to a library   
that one may find on Earth. However, the size of the   
largest library on Earth would pale in comparison to the   
size of the Galaxy Archive. Thousands of books and   
monitors graced the walls of the archive; several Juraian,   
Galaxy Police, and Galactic Science Academy drones could be   
seen scuttling about as they organized and maintained the   
archive; Mihoshi whistled in awe, and turned to face Washu.  
  
"Well, um, Little Washu… now that we're here, what   
are we looking for?"  
  
"Three things; the first is information of any barren   
or extinct planets that may have housed life at any time   
before the creation of the Galactic Federation OR the Jurai   
Empire. The second is anything that you can find that   
pertains to Ashe or his past. And the third," Washu said,   
then quieted down as if not wanting to be heard by anyone   
else, "Find anything that you can, legends, myths, real   
life events if at all, about any thing or person that can   
scorch the life off of an entire planet."  
  
Mihoshi gulped audibly at the mention of the third,   
and quickly nodded her agreement. Slowly but surely, the   
two women then stepped into the archive, their goals etched   
into their minds.  
  
*************************************  
  
End of Chapter 6 


	7. Chapter 7: Reflections and Pudding

Tenchi Muyo is the property of Pioneer and AIC. I've   
  
no intention of using this to garner profits of any kind or   
  
type, so unless you like to take a poor man's computer away   
  
from him, please don't sue me!? Please?  
  
All other characters, depictions, places, and   
  
theories that have been put into place are my own creation   
  
and have no relevance to Tenchi Muyo in any way except in   
  
the ways I've explained. These are my own thoughts and   
  
imagination, and any relation to other stories that are not   
  
my own are accidental. Honest.   
  
My e-mail is kai_kerrigan@attbi.com for any and all   
  
feedback. Please, PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND!!!   
  
Thank you! ^-^  
  
Author's Notes: I'd like to thank Evil_Pii and   
  
Jocko, and everyone for helping me with keeping me   
  
interested and enjoying what I've written thus far. I   
  
don't really know if I would have ever gotten this far   
  
without them.  
  
Thanks, guys. I owe you something I don't think I   
  
can repay in any lifetime.  
  
  
  
*****************************************************  
  
Tenchi Muyo: The Web of Life  
  
Chapter 7: Reflections and Pudding  
  
*****************************************************  
  
  
  
The Heaven Tree, massive ode to the Jurai Empire that   
  
it is, isn't the only famous structure on Jurai. There is   
  
one, among the myriad, that resides directly next to the   
  
tree and is quite well known. Nearly all of the bounty   
  
hunters, couriers, and treasure hunters in the galaxy, if   
  
not the known universe come here to find the next big   
  
`thing'. The four story building, having been disassembled   
  
and transferred from a long desolate planet, was composed   
  
mostly of ancient ruins that had been renovated and   
  
modernized from the baseboards up. Designed with natural   
  
curves and architecture, the building was artificial,   
  
though one who was unfamiliar with it would swear that the   
  
building should be inside the huge Juraian tree instead of   
  
alongside. Ashe looked upward at the building that he   
  
stood in front of and gazed at the sign that, as it hung   
  
over the main entrance, flicker and turn on for the   
  
evening. Silently, Ashe shook his head in amusement.   
  
  
  
"The more things change, the more they stay the   
  
same." With that, the wanderer stepped into the building.   
  
Looking around inside, Ashe made his way to the entry   
  
point. Standing directly in front of the doorway was a   
  
huge tentacle-covered morass, with an octopus-like face   
  
strategically placed on the top. Two bulbous eyes swiveled   
  
themselves around to stare unflinchingly at Ashe, who   
  
chuckled and waved to the creature.  
  
  
  
"Rocco, it's you! Anybody get busted by the bounty   
  
hunters lately?"  
  
  
  
A series of nondescript clicks and gurgles emerged   
  
from what could be considered Rocco's mouth as Ashe   
  
listened intently. Several of the tentacles moved and   
  
shuffled in a form of body language.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, I figured that he'd get caught someday. He was   
  
a pansy outlaw, anyways. Any other news while I've been   
  
gone?"  
  
  
  
Another series of gurgles, this set excited and   
  
rushed. Ashe raised his hands quickly in response, and   
  
attempted to calm the tentacled bouncer.  
  
  
  
"Okay, okay, don't get your tentacles in a bind!   
  
I'll ask Deo about it. Just wait here and keep the drunks   
  
out."  
  
  
  
"Okie dokie." Rocco said, crystalline with his   
  
pronunciation. Ashe stopped halfway past Rocco, and raised   
  
an eyebrow upon hearing those words.  
  
  
  
"You have got to stop watching the television, bub.   
  
It's bad for your brain." And with that, the wanderer   
  
entered the building. The outer portion of the main area   
  
was huge, with several different floors of the building   
  
resembling the natural motif of at least a dozen different   
  
planets; at least thirty or more people were here, dining   
  
on cuisine and discussing their days and weekends. The   
  
central area of the building held a tower as the main   
  
support, and it was here that they held the cafeteria and   
  
grill areas. Several walkways interconnected the rest of   
  
the building to the food tower, and it was in this way that   
  
the place maintained itself. Surrounding the bottom of the   
  
tower in a perfect circle was a bar that was larger than   
  
most rings on planets, guaranteed. At least that's what   
  
sign said on the counter, if you were to walk and read the   
  
entire ring. Ashe, however, decided to walk straight up to   
  
the ring and wave to him one of the ten bartenders working   
  
the ring.  
  
  
  
"Hey, is Deo here today?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah, I'll get him. Who's asking for him?"  
  
  
  
"Ashe. Tell him Ashe is here."  
  
  
  
"Like you needed to tell me you were here; I could   
  
smell your arse from a light-second away," a gruff voice   
  
erupted from behind Ashe. Turning around, the wanderer   
  
placed his eyes on the source of the voice; an older man   
  
stood directly behind him, leaning upon a crescent-moon   
  
shaped cane with his left hand while moving a lock of salt-  
  
and-peppered hair out of his eyes with the right. Ashe   
  
chuckled nervously as the elder man pulled up the cane and   
  
lightly tapped the wanderer on the forehead with it. "So,   
  
how goes the wanderer?"  
  
  
  
"Me, I've been fine. Went sightseeing, free-fell   
  
into a planet's atmosphere, was nearly killed. You know,   
  
it's the usual." A more serious thump on the head from the   
  
cane cured Ashe of his semi-cynical tone of voice.  
  
  
  
"Alright, you smartass, that's enough with the tone.   
  
Word has been going around that you were escorted back to   
  
Jurai by members of the Jurai Royal Family. Is it true?"   
  
Deo asked, taking a seat on one of the empty stools on the   
  
ring, and motioning Ashe to do the same; the wanderer sat   
  
down quickly, and nodded in the affirmative.  
  
  
  
"You find out quickly. Yeah, I got strange luck."  
  
  
  
"Darn right you do. I still remember the sheer   
  
amount of balls it would've taken other people to do what   
  
you'd done to help me out that fateful day."  
  
  
  
"You know, that reminds me. You're looking even more   
  
like an old fart every time I see you."  
  
  
  
"Oh, you're one to talk. I wasn't even in a triple   
  
digit age when I met your sorry arse. Besides, you're   
  
getting off point. Do you know WHO you were with?"  
  
  
  
"Would you believe me if I said not really?"  
  
  
  
"You foolish boy! You've got your head in a solar   
  
flare if you don't know who Tenchi Masaki is! He's the boy   
  
who single-handedly defeated the Ruins Buster! He's also   
  
the one who freed Washu Hakubi from her imprisonment at the   
  
hands of that madman. It's absolutely amazing that you've   
  
stumbled across them at all. Besides, I'm amazed that you   
  
haven't been skinned alive by Washu Hakubi yet."  
  
  
  
"Oh? I'll tell her you said that when I take her out   
  
on our date later." The elderly man's jaw would've hit the   
  
floor, had nature not seen fit to attach sinew and muscle   
  
to the appendage. Quickly recovering himself, Deo shook   
  
his head and chuckled to himself as he looked out over the   
  
establishment he created from scratch.  
  
  
  
"It'd figure that you'd have Washu wanting to dissect   
  
you, though; you're as much a mystery to all of us today as   
  
you were 300 years ago." Ashe bunched up his lips, and   
  
stared out at the crowd of patrons that had filled up the   
  
bar rather quickly.  
  
  
  
"So, how's the sanctuary doing?" Ashe asked,   
  
attempting to avoid the comment as much as possible; Deo   
  
simply shook his head in obvious defeat and answered his   
  
question.  
  
  
  
"Waiting for you, as usual. That rain tree is a   
  
downright bitch to take care of, you know that?"  
  
  
  
"That's an extremely hard tree to grow, mind you, and   
  
I hope you haven't killed it." Deo swung the cane around,   
  
and would've clocked the wanderer straight in the forehead   
  
had Ashe's reflexes not shot his hand up and out to   
  
intercept. Deo raised an eyebrow, and took the cane back   
  
from Ashe as he pulled himself away from the seat; nodding   
  
respectfully to the wanderer, he pulled out a strange   
  
looking key from beneath his dress shirt and handed it to   
  
Ashe before walking toward the entrance to the tower area   
  
of the place.  
  
  
  
"By the way, if you haven't noticed, I found a name   
  
for the place, finally. `The Wanderer's Way'."  
  
  
  
"Yeah, I noticed. It fits the place, I like it."  
  
  
  
"I thought you would. Remember to bring Washu here   
  
for dinner, or I'll have Rocco thrash you for the rest of   
  
the year."  
  
  
  
Ashe chuckled, in a very nervous tone, as the doors   
  
to the entrance of the tower closed behind the elderly man.  
  
  
  
"You know, for being a former bounty hunter, you   
  
figure he wouldn't try to be so. so." Ashe muttered under   
  
his breath.  
  
  
  
"Hard up on the homies?" Rocco offered up from his   
  
place at the front door, again in crystal clear language.   
  
Once again, for the few times in his life, Ashe had to   
  
agree with Rocco's choice of words.  
  
  
  
**************************************  
  
  
  
Zane stood quietly in the meditation chamber, his   
  
eyes darting in various directions as 4 man-sized sparring   
  
robots circled Tokimi's champion, taking in their target.   
  
He stood his ground and kept in the only lit area of the   
  
chamber, smoothing his black and purple sparring gi out as   
  
he kept mental note of the situation. The mechanized eyes   
  
of the units took in the dark champion as they circled him   
  
with a quickening pace. One of them darted quickly out and   
  
away from the rest of the group and brought a fist to bear,   
  
hoping to drive it through Zane's skull. The attacking   
  
unit realized the error of that decision when Zane's left   
  
hand shot outward and caught the unit's wrist; he then   
  
spend several more seconds regretting it while a heel was   
  
driven home in several locations, strategically and   
  
lethally important had the warrior been dealing with   
  
organic humanoids.  
  
  
  
"Pathetic; increase the combat A.I by two additional   
  
levels." Zane called aloud, tossing the unit outside the   
  
lit portion he continued to stand under. The remaining   
  
units twitched visibly in response to Zane's verbal   
  
commands. After the twitching subsided, the units moved   
  
with even more of a predatorial slink, watching the man   
  
with a single, lethal intent. Soon after taking their   
  
opponent into account, the remaining units dove at Zane;   
  
one of them stopped in mid-stride and jumped at the   
  
warrior, attempting to jump-kick Zane where he stood. Zane   
  
smirked and looked with a faint sense of humorous pity at   
  
his opposition as it bore down upon him like a pack of   
  
starved wolves.  
  
  
  
"Too little, too late." The fighter bemoaned, and   
  
ruthlessly slapped the airborne drone in the thigh area;   
  
the trajectory of the attack was thrown far off-kilter,   
  
rendering the jump-kick useless. Zane chose to take the   
  
left-hand drone, waiting for the opportune time for his   
  
attack; when the drone came in with the intention of   
  
landing a fierce series of jabs, Zane countered with a set   
  
of side kicks that landed on the kneecap, the pelvic area,   
  
and finally the sternum of the drone. The unit's eyes   
  
flared a luminescent yellow for a moment, and then faded as   
  
the unit dropped, lifeless, to the ground.   
  
  
  
Zane threw up his right arm blocking a knife hand   
  
attack from the third drone that had attempted to take the   
  
warrior by surprise; taking hold of, and ducking under, the   
  
offending hand and the wrist it was attached to Zane pulled   
  
the drone toward him, driving the palm of his free hand   
  
straight at the nose of the drone. A glimmer of yellow and   
  
yet another drone fell to the ground. The warrior   
  
snickered to himself a second time.  
  
  
  
All that remained was one final unit; however, Zane   
  
noted that there was no visible sign of it. Two bursts of   
  
yellow light came from behind Zane as he searched for the   
  
drone, and two energy daggers attempted to fillet his   
  
shoulders; a shower of sparks flew from the daggers as they   
  
met opposition, forcing the fighter into a low and   
  
defensive stance. Turning and eyeing the drone through   
  
slatted eyes, Zane watched as the drone continued its   
  
attempt to power the twin blades through the Light Hawk   
  
Wing that had been summoned up, the arcs of purple and   
  
yellow energy dancing on the surface of the wing. Zane   
  
stared for but a moment, in complete awe of the raw and   
  
primal beauty of the display; he then hopped back several   
  
feet to gain a more strategic advantage. The wing barring   
  
the way of the drone flickered and disappeared, leaving   
  
nothing between it and Zane. Weaving and whirling, ducking   
  
and diving, the drone tried time after time to plant one of   
  
the energy daggers home in Zane's body; however, using two   
  
Light Hawk Wings to cover his hands and forearms, Zane   
  
slapped the two weapons away from the drone without so much   
  
as a cognitive thought. Just as suddenly, Zane flipped   
  
upward and over the drone; clutching the drone's head in   
  
his hands, he snapped its neck in a sickeningly fast   
  
display of agility before he even landed behind the now   
  
slumped over drone. Brushing himself off, Zane gazed out   
  
into the darkness.  
  
  
  
"Lights," Zane growled; the meditation chamber's   
  
lights gradually bathed the whole room in an eye-pleasing   
  
radiance. At the opposite end of the room stood Ersatzu,   
  
leaning against the wall of the meditation chamber as she   
  
took in the scene that played out before her.  
  
  
  
"The combat A.I. in the drones still requires work.   
  
However, they should be more than capable of dealing with   
  
GP or Jurai's ground forces. You have done well, Ersatzu;   
  
I am quite pleased." The artificial gave a muted nod in   
  
Zane's direction, and pulled away from the wall. She   
  
strode over to the drone that had been tossed aside in the   
  
early portion of the sparring match and knelt down to   
  
analyze it as she spoke.  
  
  
  
"The information I was able to glean about Ayeka's   
  
combat style and effectiveness was incomplete, as she gave   
  
little opposition. Ryoko, however, seems to have a great   
  
deal more combat skill than she has shown in the   
  
documentation that is currently available. I have made it   
  
a personal quest to find out exactly how skillful she truly   
  
is." She held the drone's head in her palm, gazing into   
  
its eyes with an almost pitiful expression. Zane gave the   
  
artificial an amused smirk.  
  
  
  
"If I hadn't known any better, I'd say you hold the   
  
former pirate in respect, Ersatzu." She dropped the drone   
  
back on the floor, and turned her head just enough to see   
  
the warrior.  
  
  
  
"She spearheaded the only truly successful attack on   
  
the Jurai home world, and is the only survivor of any such   
  
attack against the Jurai Empire throughout its known   
  
history. I will acknowledge her ability, nothing more."  
  
  
  
"I see. Do not allow your personal decisions to   
  
override your current objective, however." Zane reminded   
  
her, to which Ersatzu nodded. Standing up and following   
  
Zane, she hurried her pace to keep up with the dark   
  
champion. The two exited the meditation chamber and fell   
  
into a march of sorts, leading through the different   
  
chambers of the ship that Zane called home. Zane fell into   
  
a quiet mood as the two traveled the ship toward Zane's   
  
private quarters. The quiet ambience was broken when   
  
Ersatzu had made note of something she recalled from an   
  
earlier date.  
  
  
  
"I have an inquiry; is the name Marius Tsurigama of   
  
any importance?" Zane's head turned to look at Ersatzu.   
  
His pace slowed in response, and his attention was now   
  
wholly directed at the artificial; something that Ersatzu   
  
found unsettling.  
  
  
  
"Yes. How did you come across that name?"  
  
  
  
"I recall hearing the name from D-3 in a previous   
  
debriefing for the Lady Tokimi. He seemed to say it with   
  
quite a cynical tone of voice, though I do not understand   
  
why." Ersatzu said, noting the interestingly large lack of   
  
information available about the name in her memory.  
  
  
  
"Marius Tsurigama is the name of the man that   
  
murdered my father and destroyed everything that was good   
  
about my father's accomplishments. His life was forfeit   
  
when he chose to become a bigot and a coward."  
  
  
  
"Forfeit? An odd choice of words, as the man was   
  
said to die of extraordinarily unusual circumstances and no   
  
absolute conclusion could be determined as to the cause of   
  
his death."  
  
  
  
"The cause is quite simple. I killed him myself."   
  
Ersatzu raised an eyebrow, noting one piece of information   
  
that was still questionable.  
  
  
  
"Marius had died about 40,000 years ago, however.   
  
That would place you at approximately a similar age, would   
  
it not?"  
  
  
  
"That is a part of history you needn't concern   
  
yourself with; keep your attention and your focus on the   
  
present." Zane muttered, waving the thought away and   
  
stepping finally into his private quarters. As the doors   
  
closed behind the dark champion, he released a deep   
  
sounding and very reluctant sigh. Zane placed his gaze at   
  
the far end of the room, and directly stared at a pedestal;   
  
a singular light shone upon a deep purple sphere, an   
  
intricate design bearing scorch marks on its surface. I   
  
will finish what I started all those years ago, Zane echoed   
  
through his mind; his thoughts began floating back to that   
  
fateful day.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Deep in the vast and icy reaches of space, a singular   
  
chamber floated in deep space; housed within it was the   
  
cryogenically sealed body of Zane. Deep within his mind,   
  
however, there was a world much different than what existed   
  
outside his frozen form. Zane sat underneath a tree,   
  
admiring the view of his father's huge mansion and the   
  
outlying countryside. The view, however, became much   
  
darker as more painful thoughts began to cloud his mind and   
  
take his attention away from what he looked at now.   
  
  
  
"I know you, Zane of Far Eden. You are worthy."  
  
  
  
Zane's eyes fluttered in place, as he sought to find   
  
the source of the whispering feminine voice. One by one   
  
the shadows of many different objects shimmered and   
  
unnervingly detached themselves from what once anchored   
  
them; pooling together and coalescing into a singular pool   
  
of darkness, a face began to emerge from the eclipsed   
  
morass of woven shadows. A beautiful yet ominous woman was   
  
what Zane saw most clearly of all, a flittering but   
  
consistent image amongst other darker aspects of the young   
  
man's life.  
  
  
  
"Who are you?" Zane asked, obsessively curious and   
  
yet almost afraid that he would scare the image away. The   
  
morass slinked and shifted so much that Zane swore that it   
  
looked as if a million black insects were crawling in   
  
unison before him.  
  
  
  
"I am the one of the Three Ladies, though I have many   
  
different names on many different worlds. In your world I   
  
have the name of the Lady of Law and Justice." The shadows   
  
whispered, as a singular hand pierced the morass; slowly as   
  
if peeling the skin from a fruit, the woman slowly arose   
  
from her former place in the shifting shadows. The young   
  
man could only gawk at the near sensual aspect of what he'd   
  
just witnessed, and through it all, the name this woman   
  
possessed rang through the winds like a thousand dull   
  
chimes.  
  
  
  
"You are Lady... Lady Tokimi?" The woman smiled, and   
  
twirled the shadows of a dozen reeds between her fingers.  
  
  
  
"Yes." She said, still toying with the morass that   
  
crawled and cascaded about her feet.  
  
  
  
"What do you want with me?" She turned to stare   
  
directly into Zane's eyes, and began walking in his   
  
direction. From his perspective, it seemed that she could   
  
calm and command the very darkness itself. Frightening and   
  
darkly enthralling prospects to be sure, exactly like all   
  
of the proverbs that told of the Lady of Justice.  
  
  
  
"It is not what I want from you; rather, what I can   
  
offer you."  
  
  
  
"As interesting as it sounds, I honestly doubt that   
  
you would have anything I would want."  
  
  
  
"Justice." The morass gave up the image of Zane   
  
striking down his enemies. Zane raised an eyebrow, eyeing   
  
the dark morass with questioning glances. The shadowy and   
  
ephemeral face of Lady Tokimi shifted again as she looked   
  
upon the brooding young man.  
  
  
  
"More specifically, I can help you to mete out   
  
justice against the dogmatic and prejudicial people that   
  
forced you into your current situation. I can give you the   
  
ability to bring justice unto those who brought this   
  
pathetic state unto you."  
  
  
  
"And in return, I would be expected to do what?"  
  
  
  
"Bring the same judgment that you bring to those who   
  
have wronged you, to anyone who would wrong innocent people   
  
such as your father ever again."  
  
  
  
Zane's eyes shot open wide, in recognition of the   
  
last component in Tokimi's comment.  
  
  
  
"How could you know my father?!"  
  
  
  
"As I told you in the beginning, I know you, and   
  
always have. I bore witness to all the indifference and   
  
hatred shown to you, as well as your father and your   
  
brother." The morass shifted to show Zane reaching out to   
  
grasp at two shadowed figures, both of them reaching out to   
  
Zane as well, though neither was able to maintain their   
  
grip on the other. "And, again, I offer you the ability to   
  
follow through with your father's wishes; to make a home,   
  
this whole universe, where there is no cruelty or   
  
hypocrisy. A home in which all can live in joyful peace   
  
with those around them. What say you, Zane of Far Eden?"  
  
  
  
Several moments of silence passed, almost as if   
  
eternity begged an audience.  
  
  
  
"On my honor and my word, I say yes."  
  
  
  
An explosion of celestial energy emerged from the   
  
cryogenic pod as Zane's cryogenic capsule was decimated and   
  
Zane now floats freely in the black, icy grip of space;   
  
however, his body does not die. Zane stared in doe-eyed   
  
panic as he moved his hands in front of his face, though   
  
feeling no pain.  
  
  
  
"What kind of power is this, which I can live in the   
  
deepness of space?"  
  
  
  
"You are evolved far beyond the scope of your peers,   
  
Zane. The gifts granted you by your father had lain half   
  
dormant; I merely nudged them to complete wakefulness. Now   
  
rise in your ascension and bring justice to the guilty, my   
  
champion, my judge," Tokimi said quietly, almost drunk with   
  
what could be considered elation in a goddess, "My angel of   
  
death."  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
A discordant tone shook Zane out of his thoughts, and   
  
toward the communication screen at the opposite end of his   
  
chambers. Ersatzu's voice could be heard over the tone,   
  
talking into another channel of the communication screen.  
  
  
  
"What is it, Ersatzu?"  
  
  
  
"Master Zane, a diplomat from the Jurai Empire wishes   
  
to speak with you. It involves our early arrival into   
  
Jurai Empire space."  
  
  
  
"I will talk with him here." He strode over toward   
  
the unit and away from the pedestal, and touched the screen   
  
faintly. The view screen lit up, revealing a Juraian   
  
diplomat; his face was pleasant, though rather confused as   
  
well.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Ambassador Zane Brynn; we were not expecting your   
  
arrival into Jurai space until the end of the galactic   
  
week. We may have trouble providing a definite place for   
  
yourself and your entourage to reside, as a celebration   
  
that includes the Jurai Royal family is about to be under   
  
way." Zane nodded in agreement to the diplomat's   
  
statement.  
  
  
  
"Your hospitality has been more than enough; however,   
  
I wish to become more acclimated to your culture and   
  
society. I felt that an early arrival would provide me the   
  
best possible opportunity to immerse myself in it. And, as   
  
for a residence, the Erebus has been more than sufficient   
  
for my needs; do not strain matters further in that   
  
regard." Zane noted to the diplomat, his posture and face   
  
taking on a very patient and stoic look as he spoke.  
  
  
  
"I understand Ambassador, and I thank you for being   
  
so lenient with our current situation. We are greatly   
  
honored that you are so willing to come and witness our   
  
wondrous culture. On behalf of Emperor Azusa and the Holy   
  
Council, I welcome you and your ship to the Jurai Empire."   
  
The view screen faded out swiftly, leaving Zane again alone   
  
with his thoughts. He snickered for a moment as he eyed   
  
the bauble.  
  
  
  
"Welcome to an empire, indeed." He said aloud,   
  
toying with the purple sphere in his hands as the dark   
  
champion contemplated his next course of action.  
  
  
  
**************************************  
  
  
  
Ryoko floated down the ancient corridor, carefully   
  
noting the route she took with a saddened and fearful eye.   
  
Dressed in her most comfortable and provocative outfit she   
  
could find, her mind darted this way and that, debating if   
  
her clothes were right for the occasion. However, her   
  
purpose was set and her will defined, and Ryoko was   
  
determined to deliver what was held behind her back. A   
  
singular rectangular black box, tied together with a   
  
scintillating red and gold ribbon was carefully held in the   
  
pirate's hands, as she stopped in front of the huge doors   
  
that heralded her destination; the Royal Nursery. She took   
  
a long, deep breath and pushed one of the ancient doors to   
  
one side and entered the sacred place.  
  
  
  
The nursery was quiet and pristine, save for the   
  
other singular figure standing in the whole area. Tenchi   
  
stood at the edge of the balcony, staring out over the   
  
nursery with wide eyes. The young man turned to face the   
  
door after hearing it swing open, and smiled pleasantly at   
  
Ryoko.  
  
  
  
"Hello Ryoko. You know you're pushing your luck by   
  
coming down here, right?"  
  
  
  
"Nyaa to those old farts. I'm not here to play   
  
gardener; besides, there's a more important reason to be   
  
here right now. I've got something I want to give you,   
  
Tenchi." The audible gulp from Tenchi's lips and throat   
  
wasn't lost on the former pirate, and she secretly giggled   
  
at the sight of a startled and mildly frightened Tenchi.  
  
  
  
"What's that?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know, it's REALLY important though, and I   
  
can't just give it away without getting a gift in return."   
  
Tenchi's eyes grew to huge proportions, and an almost   
  
nonexistent drip of blood had begun to slip out of his   
  
nose.  
  
  
  
"Do I get a clue about what it is?" Ryoko's voice   
  
began to drop, becoming more husky and sultry as she began   
  
speaking again; the pirate floated directly up toward   
  
Tenchi.  
  
  
  
"Hmm... I don't know; it might spoil the surprise..."  
  
  
  
"Okay, then, what do I have to pay?" Tenchi gasped,   
  
both exasperated and nervous about Ryoko's advancing body.   
  
Her eyes took on a sultry hue, and her body began moving in   
  
a distinct and obviously potent rhythm, causing Tenchi's   
  
eyes to widen even further than what they had been moments   
  
before. Ryoko placed her index finger on Tenchi's lips,   
  
and drew it with a silky tenderness over each lip before   
  
giving her response.  
  
  
  
"A kiss... would fit the bill perfectly."  
  
  
  
"A KISS?" Ryoko nodded, her lips curling into a   
  
faint but very seductive smile. "Is that really fair to   
  
ask of me?" Ryoko's face went blank for a passing moment,   
  
though, for Tenchi, it slipped by like an eternity.  
  
  
  
"Is it unfair to get a gift when you give one away?"  
  
  
  
"Well, not really, no..." Ryoko flashed a beaming   
  
smile and edged herself closer to Tenchi.  
  
  
  
"There you are, then! You give me the gift of a   
  
kiss, I give you this."  
  
  
  
"But..." Tenchi began, stretching his arms out to   
  
begin an explanation that would never leave his lips.   
  
Ryoko's eyes slanted and her body burst forward, wrapping   
  
up Tenchi in a comforting and passionate vise, kissing the   
  
young Masaki with a ferocity that rivaled desperation.   
  
Moments passed without the pirate letting up on Tenchi,   
  
though neither one of them really was able to relinquish   
  
enough mental capacity to notice. Ryoko pulled away first,   
  
rubbing her lips together and taking several shallow   
  
breaths; Tenchi simply tottered on his legs, his eyes wide   
  
and his mind reeling from the sheer intensity of the kiss.  
  
  
  
"That was a rush," the pirate breathed, her mind   
  
still wound around the sheer power of what had just   
  
happened. Tenchi, finally finding the words that would   
  
make sense, gaped at Ryoko as she drew her lips into a   
  
devilish, seemingly innocent smile.  
  
"You mean... that was your first....?"  
  
  
  
Ryoko winked mischievously, phasing away while   
  
keeping the smile that found its way onto her lips.  
  
  
  
"That's for me to know and you to find out..." Ryoko   
  
echoed through the nursery, leaving Tenchi to gawk wide   
  
eyed at the now-empty place where Ryoko once hovered. Only   
  
two words were able to dislodge themselves from the young   
  
man's throat as he yelled them out in a half-serious, half-  
  
confused tone.  
  
  
  
"Sneak thief!" He tossed at the walls of the   
  
nursery, pointing his hand upward toward the direction he   
  
was pretty confident that she had run off to. Satisfied   
  
that he had said his piece, Tenchi took the present that   
  
Ryoko gave him in both hands and began to tenderly open the   
  
gift. The bow undone and the top of the box pulled away   
  
from the rest, Tenchi peered into the box to look at a   
  
single piece of equipment; the hilt of a sword, black and   
  
red, shone brilliantly despite the half-lit nursery he   
  
stood in, it's metallic casing having been polished and   
  
kept in very good condition. Tenchi gingerly pulled the   
  
hilt out of the box, turning it over in his hand to look at   
  
the designs that were etched into the hilt with a more   
  
critical eye.  
  
  
  
"It's beautiful." He whispered aloud, almost   
  
entranced by the flow and feel of the design, the grip of   
  
it seemingly felt as if meant to be held by him. Tenchi's   
  
eyes locked with the end of the hilt, and aimed the hilt   
  
far and away from his body. A single red shaft of energy   
  
burst forth, illuminating the room in a douse of crimson   
  
and highlighting the red metallic designs etched into the   
  
hilt as they began to glow in a sympathetic rhythm. All   
  
things being said, the weapon was awe-inspiring to the   
  
young Masaki as he was captivated by the raw purity of the   
  
blade.  
  
  
  
"Thank you, Ryoko. I'll keep it with me always." He   
  
spoke to himself, and turned to look back out over the   
  
nursery again. Through it all, the crimson and obsidian   
  
hilt was clutched tightly in his hand.  
  
  
  
"And I'll keep you with me always, too." An   
  
invisible pirate whispered from her perch above the nursery   
  
door, watching the young man as he continued to stare at   
  
living history.  
  
  
  
************************************************  
  
  
  
Deep within the Royal House, an esteemed princess sat   
  
within her own bedroom, staring into and through the huge   
  
piece of artwork hanging over the far wall in her room.   
  
Ayeka let out a sigh, contemplating the celebration that no   
  
doubt would be occurring later in the week. Her sighs may   
  
have gone unheard, had it not been for the chambermaid   
  
tidying up the bed for Ayeka's sleep.  
  
  
  
"Something troubling you, your Highness?" Ayeka   
  
shook her head quickly, realizing that there were others in   
  
the room as well.  
  
  
  
"No, I'm perfectly fine. Thank you for being so   
  
considerate."  
  
  
  
"You are most welcome, my lady." The chambermaid   
  
said, and finished her rounds in a timely fashion. It   
  
wasn't long afterward that the princess found herself alone   
  
in her bedchambers; Ayeka sighed, and had strewn herself   
  
over the bed as she began to fall deeper into thought.  
  
"I had nearly forgotten how comfortable these beds   
  
were. I could almost fall asleep for..." A faint scent, a   
  
reminiscent mixture of caramel, mint, and chocolate, crept   
  
slowly into the room, and wafted over the elder princess's   
  
nose.   
  
*Sniff*  
  
"For hours on this." Her stomach, once thought to   
  
have been placated by the five-course meal that she and her   
  
newfound family had eaten along with the Jurai Royal   
  
family, began to respond to the inviting smell of a faintly   
  
sweet, potent, and mouthwatering dish.  
  
*Sniff, sniff*  
  
"What is that scent?" Ayeka whispered; her stomach   
  
now thoroughly intrigued with the smells that seemed to   
  
pierce her senses and eradicate her willpower. Following   
  
the near-figment of a scent up and down several halls, and   
  
finally stopping at the doorway to the grand kitchen, Ayeka   
  
looked inside. Within those doors was a kitchen that made   
  
the Masaki kitchen look as if it were a tool-shed; standing   
  
inside were three females, two were easily recognized as   
  
Sasami and Ryo-Ohki, but the third was much taller.   
  
Although several centimeters shorter than Ayeka, the woman   
  
had several staggered pairs of orange ponytails that was   
  
covered by a thick layer of hair that circled the rest of   
  
her head like a silk crown. She turned her head to look at   
  
Ayeka, her catlike green eyes as beaming as her smile.  
  
"Oh, more guests! Please, take a seat, I'll take   
  
your order in a moment; I wasn't expecting my tree-leaf   
  
pudding to be so much of a hit." Sasami and Ryo-Ohki   
  
turned to wave and smile at Ayeka as well.  
  
"Hi, Ayeka! I'm learning how to make tree-leaf   
  
pudding; do you want to try some of it?" Ayeka nodded her   
  
approval, and took the opportunity to sit down on one of   
  
several bar stools that were placed underneath the   
  
countertops.  
  
"I do apologize for my forwardness on this, but who   
  
are you?" Ayeka asked of the orange-haired girl. The new   
  
girl turned to face the elder princess.  
  
"I'm Kairi Tetsuro. I'm the grand-daughter of Deo   
  
Tetsuro, who owns the Wanderer's Way. It's one of the best   
  
resturaunts and bounty hunter haunts in this sector of the   
  
galaxy." Kairi beamed happily, with no small amount of   
  
pride of her grandfather's establishment. "I used to work   
  
there as the head chef until Lady Misaki and Lady Funaho   
  
had asked my grandfather's business to cater for a small   
  
reception in the Royal Quarter. After they tasted a small   
  
sampling of my food, they immediately demanded that I   
  
become the Grand Chef for the Royal family. How could I   
  
say no?" Ayeka, taking a bowl of the tree-leaf pudding   
  
that Sasami had prepared for her, took a taste; the   
  
textures and tastes of the dessert were vibrant, powerful,   
  
and most of all.... delicious! In no short order, the bowl   
  
was emptied of its contents; Kairi, Sasami, and Ryo-Ohki   
  
did the same to the bowls that they had filled of the   
  
dessert as well.  
  
"Wow, you must really like your grandfather, Kairi."   
  
Sasami mouthed through bites of pudding.  
  
"This... is better than any dessert I've had thus   
  
far." Ayeka declared, and placed the spoon back into the   
  
bowl in a visibly satisfied fashion. Kairi raised an   
  
eyebrow and shook her head slightly.  
  
"Na, there's one thing better than this. I'm just   
  
not going to talk about it with little ones running about."   
  
The chef bantered. Ayeka, upon hearing the subtlety behind   
  
Kairi's words, gave the biggest blush the elder princess   
  
had ever smoldered on her face. Sasami, seeing this,   
  
bunched up her lips and gave her 'I'm not a little girl!'   
  
stance, with Ryo-Ohki mimicking her every move.  
  
"I am old enough to hear all kinds of stuff!" Sasami   
  
beseeched, still holding her pose.  
  
"Yeah, all kinds of stuff!" Ryo-Ohki mewled out from   
  
behind Sasami, in a perfect copy of the younger princess's   
  
stance.  
  
"You think so, huh? What's a fallopian tube?" Kairi   
  
countered, looking at the younger princess with a teasing   
  
face.  
  
"A what-ian tube?" Sasami questioned, more than a bit   
  
of confusion haunting her features. Kairi roared in   
  
laughter, and patted Sasami on the shoulder. Ayeka   
  
couldn't help but chuckle quietly, just to herself, at her   
  
younger sister.   
  
"Don't worry, kiddo. You'll find out when you're   
  
older; right now, just worry 'bout catching butterflies and   
  
playing pretend, okay?"  
  
"Oh, okay.... but I still want to know about what's   
  
better than tree-leaf pudding!" Sasami pouted, and began   
  
spooning all of the pudding into a container to take with   
  
her. "This stuff is the best!"  
  
"Yeah, the best!" was the reply from Sasami's living   
  
shadow. Ayeka nodded in silent agreement, and looked   
  
toward Kairi to continue their conversation.  
  
"Well, I am quite pleased that we have such a capable   
  
chef feeding our family. Thank you very much for the meal,   
  
and I hope to see you at the celebration tomorrow." Kairi   
  
nodded in thanks. Sasami was busy spooning the remaining   
  
portions of the pudding into a large sealable bowl while   
  
Ryo-Ohki watched, licking her bowl clean and waiting for   
  
her friend to finish.  
  
"I'm glad that you enjoy my cooking. However, I'm   
  
waiting for the rest of my staff to come in for tomorrow's   
  
preparations of the feast following the celebration, so   
  
I'll have to shoo you all out now. I'll see you all later,   
  
okay?"  
  
"Yup! See you later, Kairi!" Sasami chirped,   
  
"Yeah, see you later!" Ryo-Ohki blurted out, waving   
  
to the orange-haired chef as the two girls ran out of the   
  
kitchen.  
  
"Princess Ayeka, thank you for being so approving of   
  
me. It means a lot; my grandfather would be proud." Kairi   
  
spoke quietly, politely bowing to the elder princess.  
  
"You are quite welcome, Grand Chef Tetsuro." Ayeka   
  
spoke, using her most formal voice.  
  
"Please, Princess Ayeka, just call me Kairi. I'm not   
  
really used to so much formality, and besides," She said   
  
with a friendly smile, "I hope that we can become good   
  
friends." Ayeka gave a grateful smile in return.  
  
"As do I. Kairi." 


	8. Chapter 8: Myths and History

Tenchi Muyo is the property of Pioneer and AIC. I've no intention of using this to garner profits of any kind or type, so unless you like to take a poor man's computer away from him, please don't sue me!? Please?  
  
All other characters, depictions, places, and theories that have been put into place are my own creation and have no relevance to Tenchi Muyo in any way except in the ways I've explained. These are my own thoughts and imagination, and any relation to other stories that are not my own are accidental. Honest.  
  
My e-mail is for any and all feedback. Please, PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND!!! Thank you! -  
  
Author's Notes: I'd like to thank EvilPii and Jocko, and everyone for helping me with keeping me interested and enjoying what I've written thus far. I don't really know if I would have ever gotten this far without them.  
  
Thanks, guys. I owe you something I don't think I can repay in any lifetime.  
  
Tenchi Muyo: The Web of Life Chapter 8: Myths and History   
  
A lone shrine, though long ancient and considered a holy place by most of the citizens in Jurai, had welcomed an old friend back into its creaky halls and peaceful reverie. It's faded and ancient shrine was finally being looked upon again by an old Shinto priest; his crimson-faded eyes were patient and, if anyone were to peek into his mind, his thoughts were glimmering with fondness and reminiscence.  
"I always knew," sighed a familiar voice from behind the priest, "That I would find you here, Yosho." He turned back to look at the form of Lady Funaho, standing quietly in the entrance to the shrine. Yosho opened his mouth to begin speaking, but was halted by his mother's outstretched hand.  
  
"Quite alright, little one." She spoke quietly, watching her son with amused interest as he turned back to face the shrine in silence. There were several more quiet minutes between the two of them as the shrine began to fill with more of the temple monks. All of them took a similar place near the shrine and began their morning prayers, seemingly oblivious to the pair nestled in their midst.  
"How did you know to find me here?" Katsuhito questioned, slightly confused.  
"I remember, a long time ago when you were just a boy, you loved to stare at the artwork and listen to the stories that all of the priests and shrine keeps had told about their lives, and what they thought about so many things. It was all that I could do to keep you from this place, until the day that your father demanded that you attend the GSA to finish your schooling. Even then, spiritualism of every form interested you far more than any book about science." She turned to look into the main area of the shrine and watched as the attendants shuffled themselves into position to begin the morning meditation. "And regardless of where you were, this was the first place you journeyed to whenever you had come home." He chuckled softly as the memories found their way back into his mind's eye.  
"You know me too well, mother." "You are easy to know, little one; you are my son, after all." She sighed deeply, continuing to gaze upon the shrine along with her son. "I do wish that I could have met Tenchi's grandmother and mother, though. I hope that they were good people. However, I will wait on that conversation until after we have had our morning prayer. I have not felt as appreciated as of late, and I feel that it is time to break that fast." "Of course, Mother." Funaho bunched up her lips, and raised an eyebrow at her son.  
"Am I not worth even a simple hug anymore?" "Of course not, Mother." Yosho then stopped himself, realizing exactly how that sounded. Funaho, however, smirked and stood in place and watched her son fumble for the words in which to apologize. "Err, I meant that you are always worth a hug, mother." He quickly brought himself to a stand, and gave his mother an endearing hug, which she returned it in kind. The two then sat down inside the shrine to begin their morning prayer.  
  
Inside her lab, Washu angled her head slightly as she stared into her view-screen with heavy interest. Her eyes wrought with sleep depravation and intense ambition, the genius's mind was keening with thousands of different permutations based off of the information available to her. All of them gave her the same problem; a lack of concrete evidence.  
  
"This is getting me NOWHERE!!!" The genius roared, bounding up and away from the holo pad in absent-minded anger. She strode over toward the arboretum, and stood against one of the trees. "I don't understand how someone who has his kind of power just doesn't have SOME kind of record or reputation! He's like a needle in a haystack, and I'm not buying that logic."  
  
"Um, Little Washu? Are you here?" Mihoshi's voice echoed from behind Washu; the scientist spun around to see the space officer stumble in from the temporary gateway that she had set up in the main hall of House Masaki.  
  
"How in the…? How is it that you keep getting in here?" Washu mused absently.  
  
"Well, I did knock. Does that count?"  
  
"Not really, but I'm not arguing semantics right now. I'm guessing you're finally done with your research of the GP database?"  
  
"Yeah, it was really informative. I was able to find a whole bunch of information; did you know that Terrans used to use stones to fight each other?"  
  
"They still do. Where's the information?" Mihoshi produced an extremely thick binder, filled with information and photographs. Washu gaped at the binder, then at Mihoshi. Walking up and taking the binder, the scientist began flipping through its pages; Washu stopped at one point and looked at the officer with confusion blatantly on her face.  
  
"You're kidding right? This doesn't make any sense! Almost two-thirds of the information in here is mythology and urban legends; this isn't what I was looking for, Mihoshi."  
  
"Yes, it is." Mihoshi countered, and swiped the binder back from the scientist.  
  
"Oh really, and how do you figure?"  
  
"Simple! I'll show you with a star map." Mihoshi beamed, and pulled out her cube; twisting her cube in several directions, Mihoshi finally produced a holographic projection of the known universe, but not before having several different pieces of equipment drop to the floor. Washu simply shook her head as Mihoshi began to explain.  
  
"Roughly 40,000 years ago, the Translucians saw the birth of their birth-date caste system correlated to a 'falling star' that had crashed into the planet. It heralded the coming of a man of white who saved the life of the infant who would become the First Child Emperor of Tannia."  
  
"That's not feasible. There's too little information on that story to even count that as a potential source; besides, that story was told orally for 10,000 years before it was written down. I can't use a story handed down more than 24 times as concrete proof." "Maybe, but on Zanief VII, there were several legends that talked about a man who possessed an ability to emulate supernatural phenomenon; after tracing the historical timeline to those, they ended up being about 25,000 years old in age." Washu gave Mihoshi a strange look a second time.  
"No one that we know has any proof that he is capable of that type of ability; that's as hard to believe as the GSA pronouncing that they can seal a black hole!" "I know it's true, because there was one particular instance that caught my attention really good. About 4,500 years ago Ryoko had been sent to Tetanius Prime to deter the planetary defense forces from stopping Kagato on one of his 'rumored' raids. The funny thing was the fact that Ryoko, at one point, had been fighting in a one-on-one fight against a person of unknown origin, and couldn't get past! One of the bystanders had been quoted as saying that the person had started off pretty badly. By the time they were done, it got to the point where it was speculated that Kagato decided to raze the planet rather than risk letting the person become a liability." As Mihoshi continued talking, Washu noted the planets as they lit up, giving rise to a very subtle arc that followed its way out of the galaxy.  
"It isn't speculation. Kagato didn't want something that he couldn't control running loose. Do you have any footage that could've been recovered from the planet?" "Yup; here, I can show it to you." Twisting the cube several more times, a single compact disk dropped to the ground; a singular black disk, with 'GP: TOP SECRET' written on the top. Mihoshi handed the disk to the scientist, who immediately tossed it into a small portal that opened up directly behind her head. A huge view-screen spawned itself out over the remaining portion of control node, as two plush cushions appeared behind the two women.  
"Take a seat, but don't touch anything." "Yes ma'am." As the screen flickered on, static roared across like a wildfire and slowly died, revealing a semi-pristine commercial area. Without warning, one of the buildings furthest from the camera view lit up as an energy blast screamed into it. The blast knocked debris into the air and knocked almost everything away from the point of impact. The screen went static for but a moment, and then flickered to a different point of view; it seemed to be the opposite end of the city block that had been decimated, and the object focused on a cyan-haired woman as she stared with a blank, lifeless expression.  
"Ryoko…" Washu mentally gushed, her eyes shimmering as she watched the scene unfold, "What did he make you do?" The pirate's hands pulsed brightly, and two orbs of energy coalesced into each hand. She took a look around, and then tossed the orbs behind her, into a nearby building. The building, in no short order, shuddered from the explosion and then imploded; the dust and debris roared past her, but Ryoko neither moved nor blinked. She looked upward, as if she were about to leave, when she looked at the far end of the city block; the camera shifted its view again, to show the damaged building that had been hit earlier in the video feed. Rubble shifted and groaned as a figure shoved several huge chunks of building out of its way. The camera zoomed in, to look at a man, wearing an emerald green trench coat and a black body suit kicking more debris out of his way as he carried an unconscious body in his arms. The camera focused a second time, getting a clear view of the man's face; his grey eyes and stark white hair filled the screen, and both girls gasped in realization of who it was.  
"It IS Ashe!" Both exclaimed, and then leaned in closer to watch the video feed unfold with rapt interest. On the screen, several combat medics rushed to the wanderer; Ashe handed them the unconscious form, and made several angry faces. The medics ran off with the body, leaving the pirate and the wanderer alone on the city street. The wanderer tilted his head to look at Ryoko, and seemed to mouth words to the blue-haired warrior.  
"Audio! Where's the audio?" Washu declared.  
"Oh! Yeah, there's an audio track, but they had to extrapolate what their lips were doing in order to get the information. I used one of Grandpa's gadgets to make the voices sound like Ashe and Ryoko, too!" Mihoshi commented, still transfixed on the screen. In a matter of moments, the dull hiss of mild static permeated the control node as Ashe's voice echoed through the chamber.  
"... and just leave?" said the wanderer, still walking forward, slow and measured with his steps. The pirate made no movements, and made no sound to reply.  
"What, is he paying you? I can give you more money, just leave this place alone. The ruins aren't even on this side of the planet, so there's no reason to be here!" Dead silence tore its way through the node, as everyone sat to witness Ryoko's reply. She looked directly at Ashe, to show a set of yellow and green eyes.  
"I must do what I am told to do." Ryoko declared, and ran toward the wanderer; her sword flared into being as she covered half the distance between them so fast that the camera couldn't keep up with the movement.  
"Whoa! I didn't know Ryoko was that fast!" Mihoshi chirped, and pulled out a candy bar from her pocket to eat as she watched the video play out.  
"You haven't seen anything yet." Washu muttered, and continued to watch the screen.  
On screen, Ashe tensed himself, and dived to the side as Ryoko brought her sword down where he once stood. The street groaned and caved under the stress, leaving a large spider web design where Ashe was moments ago. Not missing a beat, Ryoko swung her hand to aim at Ashe as he hopped to his feet, and fired several small energy blasts at his head and chest. Ashe ducked low, barely missing one of the blasts as it tore through his arm; the pirate simply watched as the wound smoldered, then healed over in a matter of seconds. Ashe shoulder-rolled himself to his left, and made a mad dash toward the large pile of rubble, zigzagging as he went to avoid the other energy blasts that were thrown about much like a toddler's playthings. Quickly, the wanderer dove behind one of the boulders, which became much smaller as energy blasts annihilated head-sized portions of it away without so much as recognition of their existence.  
"That's strange, I've never seen Ashe move that quick either." Mihoshi said between bites of candy bar; Washu, however, began to study the screen with much keener an interest.  
"He's using his environment to his advantage, but he knows that he's outgunned and underpowered. C'mon…" Washu breathed, "Show me what you're hiding." On screen, the boulder that Ashe had hid behind suddenly launched forward and rolled directly at Ryoko at a high rate of speed; the pirate didn't flinch, even after she kicked the makeshift weapon apart with a side kick. Several more pieces of building were pushed or rolled in Ryoko's direction. She destroyed one of them with another side kick, and then laid waste to the remaining obstacles with several small blasts. Ryoko, spotting Ashe as he attempted to dive behind another piece of rubble, bolted forward and caught the wandering fighter from behind; giving him a bear hug, the wanderer began to gasp for breath. Blood began to trickle out of his mouth as his lungs began to fill with his own life fluids.  
"My god, she's killing him. Is she killing him?" Mihoshi choked out, nearly gagging on her candy bar in a sympathetic motion. Washu let a tear slip out of her eyes, realizing exactly to what extent Kagato had manipulated her daughter.  
"He isn't able to die that easily, but, yes. Ryoko is crushing the life out of him." As the two watched, Ashe's eyes closed, and the young man grabbed the pirate's hands with his own; Ryoko's body began to glow a deep red, and it began to envelope the wanderer's body as well. A second later, a pulse of energy rippled through the area, with its epicenter being the two warriors that were locked in combat; Ryoko's grip, as well as her body, were thrown back as Ashe dropped to the ground. As the two women watched the screen, the wanderer's body began to glow a deep crimson red and fade slowly into a deep emerald green; portions of his hair pulled itself out of its pony-tail, and began to spike itself and fan outward.  
"Wow, Ashe's hair looks kinda like Ryoko's! Why did that happen?" Washu, who had taken it upon herself to get a drink of water in order to wet her now stone-dry mouth, promptly did something that she barely remembered doing at any other time in her life: she gagged.  
"HE CAN DO WHAT?? PAUSE THAT FEED!" The feed stopped dead in its tracks, right as the video changed the angle from a 45 degree view, to an aerial view of the situation as it focused directly upon a wanderer with a hairstyle that looked as if it were a fused version of his own, and of Ryoko's own unique style. Washu whirled to face the space officer, bringing up a slew of holo-pads as she did so.  
"Were there any sensor arrays set up to record this?" Washu yelped, which sent Mihoshi back and off of her seat.  
"AHHHH!" Rubbing her bottom as she pulled herself off of the ground, Mihoshi tried not to think about the pain. "Well, yeah, I don't see why there wouldn't be…" Washu began pulling up the information left and right, playing the scene that had just occurred several times over to synchronize the data from every conceivable direction. "Unbelievable.... look at the patterns! Directly before, there was no visible reaction from either... but here, Ashe's bio-signature literally shuffles and attunes itself to match Ryoko's bio-signature!" She sat back with a look of complete understanding and no small amount of satisfaction on her face.  
"I wouldn't believe it unless I was looking at it right here. Ashe, you little copycat." Washu's ear-to-ear grin, not to mention the slow but very loud cackling, began to worry Mihoshi.  
"A copycat? Ashe sounds pretty original to me." "What? No, that's not what I meant! He's a copycat, as in he can emulate others' abilities! And if I'm right…" Washu trailed off as she began pulling up the stored information on Ashe's genetic code, "He has access to ancestral memories that pertain to those abilities as well, considering that they've been hard-wired into his DNA! It's ingenious!" Washu stared at the picture of Ashe for a moment, a look of profound respect crossing her features.  
"I'd almost say he's perfect."   
"Do we really need to wear these oversized cloaks? I feel like I'm swimming in a blanket!" Ryoko complained, pulling or dragging back several different layers of clothing in order to pull the hood off of her head.  
"Ryoko, please don't poke fun at the ceremonial uniforms." Tenchi whispered to the pirate, and then looked back to Ayeka. All three of them were finishing up putting on the cloaks when Ayeka pulled the hood of hers back. Tenchi took a free moment to sneak a view of the surrounding area as Ayeka glared at Ryoko. "The Tree Bonding Ceremony is a very old, but very important custom; it's rather reminiscent of the Japanese Tea Ceremony in terms of the importance placed on tradition and form. This means that… Ryoko, pay attention!" Ayeka half-yelled at the pirate, who had decided that playing with Tenchi's ponytail held a much higher priority than listening to Ayeka talk about things older than all of them.  
"While I'm sure that you have no idea about the value of ceremony, Ryoko, but this is EXTREMELY important. The very success of a space-tree bonding hinges on following the basic rules and conduct put into place for the ceremony, and I'm not going to let you allow a flawless record to be marred due to your inability to sit still!" "If you got it princess, then why not bring it? I got 50 credits that say otherwise!" "It's a bet I'm willing to lose if it means that you won't destroy this." Ayeka stated, and then turned back to explain some more to Tenchi. "Every member of the immediate Royal Family will be standing as demands the ceremony; that will be Brother Yosho, Father, Mother, Mother Funaho, and I. Sasami has yet to reach the proper age to have her as part of the ceremony, so she will accompany you to answer any questions. All of the remaining attendees will kneel behind each of the main family members, encircling the tree and partner-to-be. At NO TIME is there any talk other than whispering; only chanting of the bonding mantra is permitted with full voice." Ayeka declared.  
"Of course, that would require that this... barbarian... has sufficient brain power to be capable of such a feat." A voice declared behind the trio; all of them turned to look at a Juraian nobleman, his fluorescent red hair a stark contrast to the earthy tones of the robes that he wore.  
"Oh, great, Pinky's back." Ryoko muttered.  
"Ah, the infamous pirate extraordinaire, Ryoko. How pleasant to see you here, and without the pretense of senseless destruction. It must be difficult to maintain, the almost alien concept of self-restraint?" "Oh, I'll show you restraint." Ryoko growled, wasting no time in trying to get closer with her outstretched hands, no doubt aiming for the Juraian noble's exposed throat. Tenchi grabbed the pirate's hand, and twisted it slightly which sent the pirate spiraling around to face Tenchi.  
"Rein it in, Ryoko! He's just trying to egg you into doing something reckless!" "Who, me? Now why would I even consider doing such a base and tactless concept such as that? You two would never have even gotten to the Great Gate without my dear, sweet Ayeka to guarantee you safe passage into the Heaven Tree." The venomous daggers emerging from behind Ayeka's eyes never escaped the notice of Tenchi as he looked at the elder princess, who smoothed out her hood as she turned to look at the Juraian noble. Pulling Ryoko out from between the two nobles, Tenchi motioned for Ryoko to be quiet as Ayeka began to speak to Seiryo.  
"Seiryo, let me remind you of something, and I hope that these words will sink into your star-struck mind." Ayeka declared, a small twitch emerging from her lips. "I am not yours, will never be yours, and I would never consider touching you in any way other than, perhaps, to strike that overtly malformed orifice you call a mouth and wipe any thought of romantic interlude from it. Has it become clear yet?" "Crystal." "And if you even CONSIDER disgracing any of those whom I hold in friendship EVER again, in public or in private, I will personally make sure that you eat with a straw every meal from now until the day you pass on from this life. Keep that in mind when you begin uttering more nonsense." Seiryu's mouth swung open, merely blinking absently at the raw verbal punishment handed out from the normally quiet princess. Ryoko simply grinned from ear to ear.  
"I see. I have a tree ship that requires my focus and attention. And I will not let a small disagreement distract me from that, so if you will excuse me…" He bowed slightly, and then exited the room with everything but a running start.  
"Damn, Ayeka, you laid it a bit thick, huh?" "I will not tolerate anyone disgracing Lord Tenchi, Ryoko, even a high-ranking noble such as Seiryo." "Well, thank you, Ayeka. I appreciate the effort." Tenchi said, a slight smile emerging on his lips.  
"Of course, Lord Tenchi." "Well, I guess I didn't know that I was gonna be your friend either, Ayeka." Ryoko wisped, a cocky smile emerging from beneath her lips. Ayeka raised an eyebrow to look at her.  
"Enjoy the dream, Ryoko; I merely did it as payment of a debt to you. Now, we are even." "Fair enough, I guess. Now, how's about we get this show on the road?" Ryoko chirped.  
  
Ashe awoke with a start, a cold sweat covering his body as he sat up in the bed that sat in the middle of the room. Moving the sweat-soaked locks of hair away from his eyes, he groggily looked around; the cylindrical "Sanctuary" that had been built for him by one of the few real friends in his life served not only as sleeping chambers, but also as a archival vault for the various things that he had collected for the many years he had been alive. The room's height went several thousand feet straight up, and the natural ambient light that came from the reinforced glass ceiling was dimmed slightly, creating an effect of both modernization and antiquity in the same quiet moment. A thick, fine grain of dust covered much of the older portions of the vault, giving away just how long a good deal of the objects had sat waiting for their owner to return to them. Wiping the sweat off of his face and brow with his blanket, Ashe took a free moment to pull on a pair of boxers and amble his way around the vault.  
  
Giving himself a faint push off of the ground, Ashe began to float higher upward, toward the highest point in the vault; he passed thousands of different shelves and books that were arrayed and sorted as well as other works of art and knickknacks that he had also collected for their sentimental value on the various levels; each level was connected by a spiraling ramp that encircled the tower. He stopped and planted himself on the ground in front of his destination; the uppermost level. Here, the place was kept pristine and clear of clutter, for it was here that Ashe kept his most prized relic; a painting that had hung on the wall, surrounded by candles and adorned with necklaces of various designs. The painting showed a picture of three people, standing in a reed field; a slightly elderly man, with salt-and-pepper hair, along with twin white-haired boys. Ashe placed his hands behind his head, and his eyes locked onto the painting.  
  
"It's been a while, Dad. I know I haven't come to visit in a long time, so I thought I'd do so after I got some sleep." Ashe took several tentative steps forward, and waved his hand in front of himself; all of the candles, like a silent wave of whispers, lit up as his hand crossed in front of his sight.  
  
"I'm doing pretty well, although I still haven't found anything permanent yet. I'm still looking for a home for us, just like I told you; I'll admit though, for a moment I was almost convinced that I found one. You wouldn't believe the kind of people they are, either; they're so compassionate and kind it's almost surreal." Ashe's eyes let slip several tears, which crawled their way down his face and cheeks. "I really wish you could see them, Dad, I think you'd really like them."  
  
"And I think you'd be all different kinds of happy to know that I've been talking with a girl; she's the first one in over 4,500 years, and she's a scientist, just like you were. Her name's Washu; and I actually think she just might like me.... heh, if she isn't trying to poke or prod at me for another test or sample of one kind or another. I'm just glad she hasn't asked for anything too personal." Ashe said aloud, shuddering at the thought.  
  
I should have stayed instead of allowing that damned exile to happen! Ashe cursed himself mentally, clenching his hands into tightly balled fists as he let his arms fall to his sides. Why did you tell me to go? Why? Ashe's mind wandered back, sinking downward through the depths of his memory, back toward the fateful day he was forced to leave his home to find another one.  
The head judge stood up, facing the accused scientist with a faint haze in his eyes along with what seemed to be a professional sense of distance. Behind the scientist, a huge throng of people had gathered; so many people had been allowed into the room that there was absolutely no room for sitting down, and many of them were standing in gleeful and almost sickening anticipation of the proceedings of the trial.  
"Errol Brynn, you are charged with treason against the Council of Elders, blatant disregard of policy concerning the Ultimas Personas project that you lead, usage of non-Edenian DNA in the Ultimas Personas project, and the creation, using the DNA template assembled of said project, of the two subjects that stand beside you. How do you plead?" Errol stood proudly, glancing on either side of himself. Ashe, standing just a head shorter of his creator and father, looked up at him with expectant eyes; his brother also looked up at Errol as he listened to his response.  
"Not guilty; and these 'subjects' are my sons, regardless of how you see them. I will not tolerate you shaming them by calling them anything less than that." Errol spoke forcefully, nearly spitting out the words as he used his eyes to bore holes into the head judge.  
"Regardless, you are sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of release. However, as you have been a guiding member of this council, and have held the title of Grand Master of the Far Eden Science Academy for many years, we will grant your last wish to exile your sons from Far Eden." Gasps emerged from a great many in the gathered mass of spectators, and Errol turned an ear to listen. Mumblings and degrading slights were thrown about, as another person stood up; his black hair slicked back and pulled straight, while his red eyes had no qualms about displaying the venom they contained.  
"Preposterous! Those... those pieces of waste product should be destroyed post-haste! Allowing them to live degrades the sanctity and the purity of Far Eden!" The man exclaimed, punching the pedestal with a fist in emphasis of his beliefs. The head judge turned to look at the man, and narrowed his eye.  
"Professor Marius Tsurigama; while you are now the new Grand Master at the Far Eden Science Academy, this does not mean that you will hold any more sway in my court than any other man. Grand Master Brynn has done more in his lifetime for our world than even I can hope to accomplish, and his final wishes will be carried out with due haste and respect. If you do not like the sentencing that I have decreed, then you may leave my courtroom. Are we clear?" Marius growled in impotent rage, and sat back down in his chair. Errol snickered visibly at Marius, and then turned to face the judge for one final time.  
"May I ask one small favor of you, Head Judge?" Errol inquired, bowing slightly toward the judge.  
"You may."  
"May I have one final moment with my sons before their exile is carried out?" The head judge nodded his assent. Errol turned back toward his sons, who had gathered behind their father as they listened to them.  
"I'm not leaving you here alone, Dad! No way in hell!" Ashe growled, folding his arms in front in emphasis.  
"Ashe, you and your brother can't stay. If you try to force yourselves to remain behind here, they will kill all of us. That's not what I want, do you understand?" Errol explained, holding his son's shoulder. "And you, I need you to keep an eye on your brother for me; can you do that?" Ashe's brother nodded in silent agreement and Errol smiled.  
"I want you… both of you… to make a promise to me, okay? When this is all over, I want you go and make a real home somewhere far away from this place. Not one that's bigoted or cruel, a real home with people who understand and care about who you are, not what you are. Can you boys do that?" Both boys nodded their heads, their hearts filled with understanding of what their father said. Errol patted them both on the back, and noticed the group of guards that surrounded the trio as they talked. As the guards pulled the two young men away from their father, Ashe yelled out to him one last thing before losing sight of his father for the final time.  
"I'll come back for you, Dad! I promise!"  
  
"I promised; promised and failed you." Ashe whispered to the painting, tears now rolling down his face. "But I won't give up, Dad. I'll find the home you wanted me to have, no matter what it takes. No matter how long it takes." He whisked his hand over the portrait a second time, and the flames that were lit each slowly winked out in turn. He drew in and exhaled a long and deep breath, then turned and walked up to the circular balcony that he had come up over in his ascent to the place he stood in. Staring up through the glass ceiling, and taking in the partly clouded skies above, Ashe smiled at the sky that seemed to open up and show him all the possibilities he could have ever want.  
"And finally, after all these years, Dad, I think I've found it," Ashe looked back at the portrait for but a moment, and gave his father a thumbs up. "Wish me luck!"  
With a shout and a dive, Ashe bolted over the railing to find the people who treated him like he belonged; the people who made him feel like family. 


End file.
